(Sreat  Commanbers 

EDITED  BY  JAMES  GRANT  WILSON 


GENERAL   FORREST 


ollje  (Sreat  Commanber0  Scries. 

EDITED  BY  GENERAL  JAMES  GRANT  WILSON. 

Each,  121110,  cloth,  gilt  top,  $1.50  net; 
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Admiral  Farragut.  By  Captain  A.  T.  MAHAN,  U.  S.  N. 
General  Taylor.  By  General  O.  O.  HOWARD,  U.  S.  A. 
General  Jackson.  By  JAMES  PARTON. 

General  Greene.  By  General  FRANCIS  V.  GREENE. 
General  J.  E.  Johnston. 

By  ROBERT  M.  HUGHES,  of  Virginia. 
General  Thomas.  By  HENRY  COPPEE,  LL.  D. 

General  Scott.  By  General  MARCUS  J.  WRIGHT. 

General  Washington. 

By  General  BRADLEY  T.  JOHNSON. 
General  Lee.  By  General  FITZHUGH  LEE. 

General  Hancock.  By  General  FRANCIS  A.  WALKER. 
General  Sheridan.  By  General  HENRY  E.  DAVIES. 
General  Grant.  By  General  JAMES  GRANT  WILSON. 
General  Sherman.  By  General  MANNING  F.  FORCE. 

Commodore  Paul  Jones. 

By  CYRUS  TOWNSEND  BRADY. 

General  Meade.  By  ISAAC  R.  PENNYPACKER. 

General  McClellan.  By  General  PETER  S..MICHIE. 
General  Forrest.  By  Captain  J.  HARVEY  MATHES. 

In  preparation. 
Admiral  Porter.      By  JAMES  R.  SOLEY,  late  Assistant  Secretary 

U.  S.  Navy. 
General  Schofield  :     An  Autobiography. 


D.    APPLETON   AND   COMPANY,    NEW   YORK. 


X.2  Salt's  Sons. 


GREAT  COMMANDERS 

*  **  * 


GENERAL  FORREST 


BY 

CAPT.  J.   HARVEY   MATHES 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  MAPS 


NEW    YORK 

D.    APPLETON    AND    COMPANY 
1902 


COPYRIGHT,  1902, 
BY   D.   APPLETON   AND   COMPANY. 


All  rights  reserved. 


Published  March,  1902 


PREFACE. 


THE  writer  of  the  following  work  served  with  in 
fantry  commands  of  the  Confederate  army,  mostly  as 
adjutant  of  a  regiment  or  on  brigade  staff  duty,  for 
nearly  four  years.  It  was  not  his  fortune  to  ride  with 
General  Forrest  during  the  war,  yet  he  knew  this  re 
markable  character  somewhat  intimately,  as  well  as 
members  of  his  staff  and  hundreds  of  his  men  who 
are  still  engaged  in  the  activities  of  private  life.  From 
the  associations  of  war  and  of  peace,  impressions 
were  formed  as  to  the  personality  and  the  mettle  of 
Forrest  and  the  soldiers  who  made  him  famous.  In 
the  limited  space  permitted  the  most  salient  points  have 
been  presented,  while  many  incidents,  some  of  them 
humorous  as  well  as  pathetic  and  thrilling,  have  been 
passed  over  or  only  given  brief  mention.,  The  Re 
bellion  Records,  so  replete  with  official  r&ports,  as 
published  by  the  Government  with  approximate  accu 
racy  and  fairness ;  the  Memoirs  of  Generals  Grant, 
Sherman,  and  Thomas,  and  numerous  other  Union 
officers  of  lesser  rank ;  the  Campaigns  of  General  For 
rest,  by  General  Thomas  Jordan  and  John  P.  Pryor, 
issued  in  1868;  the  Life  of  General  Forrest,  by  Dr. 
John  A.  Wyeth  (1899)  '>  The  Seventh  Tennessee  Cav 
alry,  Forrest's  old  regiment,  by  John  P.  Young,  of 
Memphis,  and  many  other  publications  and  papers 
have  been  freely  consulted  in  the  preparation  of  this 
work.  \The  aim  has  been  to  gather  and  put  together 

267517 


VI  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

in  consecutive  order  the  facts  in  regard  to  General 
Forrest's  eventful  life  from  early  youth  to  his  death 
at  the  comparatively  early  age  of  fifty-six.  Thanks 
are  returned  to  General  James  Grant  Wilson  for 
many  valuable  suggestions  as  to  the  scope  and  spirit 
of  judicial  treatment  which  it  is  hoped  will  be  found 
to  pervade  this  volume ;  to  General  Marcus  J.  Wright, 
of  the  War  Department,  for  kindly  aid  in  the  revision 
of  some  chapters;  to  the  surviving  members  of  Gen 
eral  Forrest's  staff,  including  especially  his  son,  Cap 
tain  William  M.  Forrest,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  John 
W.  Morton,  who  was  chief  of  artillery,  and  to  many 
others  of  the  old  command  who  have  lived  to  enter 
upon  the  twentieth  century;  and  also  to  Captain 
Alfred  G.  Tuther,  Dr.  Joseph  P.  Alban,  General 
Milton  T.  Williamson,  and  other  Union  officers 
now  living  in  Memphis,  who  have  kindly  supplied 
interesting  facts  which  were  as  missing  links  in  the 
history  of  some  of  Forrest's  campaigns.  Many  au 
thorities  have  been  drawn  upon  and  pains  taken  by 
correspondence  and  personal  interviews  to  revive  and 
make  available  the  memories  and  impressions  of  old 
soldiers  who  were  in  the  campaigns  described,  wear 
ing  either  the  blue  or  the  gray.  If  these  and  such 
as  these  can  approve  the  efforts  made  to  do  some 
thing  in  the  line  of  reliable  and  unbiased  history,  then 
the  earnest  desire  and  patriotic  ambition  of  a  Con 
federate  veteran  will  have  been  realized. 

J.  HARVEY  MATHES. 

MEMPHIS,  TENN.,  February,  1902. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I. — ANCESTRY  AND  EARLY  LIFE i 

II. — FIRST  CAMPAIGN  IN  KENTUCKY        ....      23 

III. — THE   BATTLE    OF    FORT    DONELSON     .  .  -         34 

IV. — BATTLE  OF  SHILOH. — CAPTURE  OF  MURFREESBORO      54 
V. — OPERATIONS  ON  BRAGG'S  FLANK      ....      73 
VI. — BATTLE  OF  PARKER'S  CROSSROADS  ...        .82 
VII. — REPULSE    AT    DOVER. — SUCCESS    AT    THOMPSONS 

STATION .96 

VIII. — STREIGHT'S  EXPEDITION  OVERTAKEN  AND  CAPTURED     109 
IX. — SPRING  HILL  TO  CHICKAMAUGA       .        .        .        .128 

X. — IN    A   NEW    FIELD. —  PROMOTED    TO    MAJOR-GENERAL       153 

XI.— GENERAL  WILLIAM  SOOY  SMITH'S  DEFEAT  .  .173 
XII. — THIRD  RAID  INTO  WEST  TENNESSEE  .  .  .  197 

XIII. — CAPTURE  OF  FORT  PILLOW 214 

XIV. — BRICE'S  CROSSROADS 233 

XV. — SEVERE  REPULSE  AT  HARRISBURG,  JULY  14,  1864  .     252 

XVI. — A   DARING   RAID    ON    MEMPHIS 264 

XVII. — FORREST'S  COMMAND  REORGANIZES. — SUDDEN  AND 
SUCCESSFUL   MOVE  THROUGH    NORTH  ALABAMA 
INTO  MIDDLE  TENNESSEE. — JOHNSONVILLE         .     282 
XVIII. — COVERING    HOOD'S    DISASTROUS     RETREAT    FROM 

NASHVILLE 306 

XIX. — FINAL  CAMPAIGN  IN  1865. — GENERAL  WILSON'S 
CAPTURE  OF  SELMA. — THEN  THE  SURRENDER. — 
AND  GENERAL  FORREST'S  FAREWELL  ADDRESS 

AT  GAINESVILLE,  ALA 333 

vii 


Vlll  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XX. — GENERAL    FORREST  AFTER  THE  WAR. — A    QUIET, 

DIGNIFIED  CITIZEN.— DEATH  AT  THE  EARLY  AGE 
OF  FIFTY-SIX. — SOME  REMINISCENCES  AND  COM 
MENTS  IN  REGARD  TO  HIS  CIVIL  AND  MILITARY 
CAREER  .........  358 

APPENDIX  : 

GENERAL  LEE'S   ACCOUNT  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF 
HARRISBURG,  JULY  14,  1864    ....    379 

GENERAL  FORREST'S  ORTHOGRAPHY    .        .        .    382 
INDEX 3g5 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS  AND   MAPS. 


PAGE 

Portrait  of  General  Forrest,  engraved  by  Charles  B.  Hall 

from  a  photograph  taken  in  Richmond,  Va.  Frontispiece 
Nathan    B.    Forrest   in   early  life,  from   a   daguerreotype 

taken  in  Memphis  about  1846 4 

House  in  Hernando  where  Forrest  lived  when  a  youth  .  II 
Facsimile   of   letter   written    in    September,    1861,    to    Dr. 

J.   H.   P.  Westbrook 26 

Map  of  battle-field  of  Shiloh,  April  6  and  7,  1862     .         .  ^56 

Campaign  of  the  early  part  of  1863 106 

Map  of  vicinity  of  Nashville 124 

Vignette  and  autograph  of  General  Forrest       .         .         .  129 

Map  of  Pontotoc  to  Corinth         ......  156 

Map  of  Brice's  crossroads  battle-field,  June,  1864       .         .  240 

Map  of  the  Tennessee  River  in  Alabama  ....  314 

Facsimile  of  letter  to  Gen.  Stephen  D.  Lee,  July,   1865  .  336 
Portrait   of    General    Forrest,    enlarged    from    a    tintype 

taken  in   New  York  city,  1868      .....  373 

ix 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 


CHAPTER   I. 

ANCESTRY   AND    EARLY    LIFE 

BIOGRAPHY  is  the  most  instructive  and  beneficial  of 
all  the  efforts  of  the  pen.  It  molds  national  character 
and  makes  states.  By  it  the  greatness  of  individuals 
is  founded.  Plutarch's  Lives  are  to  this  day  read 
most  carefully,  nay,  studied  diligently,  by  the  youth 
whose  ambition  seeks  a  career  as  soldier  or  statesman. 

In  a  republic  it  is  a  matter  of  special  importance 
that  the  lives  of  citizens  whose  services  in  peace  or 
war  have  been  distinguished,  should  be  unrolled  before 
their  countrymen  in  the  minutest  detail  possible. 
Thus  the  aspiration  of  the  humblest  is  kindled  to  emu 
late.  Thus  all  are  informed  that  great  deeds  and 
achievements  are  within  the  reach  of  those  who  will 
strive,  and  that  no  man's  inauspicious  conditions  of 
fortune  or  birth  are  in  the  way  of  a  citizen  of  a  free 
republic  who  has  the  means  and  ability  to  achieve. 
Honest,  truthful  biography  is  like  the  flame  of  the 
Parsees'  altar,  ever  inviting — as  that  did  to  the  worship 
of  Deity — the  individual  to  competition  in  great  ac 
tions,  and  the  people  to  the  contemplation  of  grand 
performances  and  gratified  admiration  for  their  heroes. 

Therefore  the  life  of  Lieutenant-General  Nathan 
Bedford  Forrest.  The  subject  of  this  work  and  a 
twin  sister,  who  was  named  Fanny,  were  born  on  the 


2  -       -  XJEUTEHAHT"G£NERAL  FORREST. 

I3th  of  July,  1821,  near  the  site  of  a  little  place  known 
afterward  as  Chapel  Hill,  on  Duck  River,  in  Bedford — 
now  Marshall  County  by  change  of  lines — in  Middle 
Tennessee.  They  were  the  first  children  of  humble  but 
respected  parents.  Their  father,  William  Forrest,  was 
a  plain,  hard-working  blacksmith,  of  whom  nothing 
especial  is  known  beyond  the  fact  that  he  was  born  in 
Sumner  County,  Tenn.,  about  the  year  1800,  and  grew 
up  in  Bedford  County,  where  he  married  Miriam 
Beck,  of  a  Scotch-Irish  family,  who  at  an  early  day 
had  emigrated  from  South  Carolina.  William,  the 
father  of  Bedford,  was  the  oldest  son  of  Nathan  For 
rest,  who  was  born  in  Orange  County,  N.  C,  and 
was  married  in  that  State  to  Miss  Baugh,  of  Irish 
birth  or  descent.  Nathan  was  the  second  son  of  Sha- 
drack  Forrest,  who  lived  in  western  Virginia  and  was 
of  English  parentage.  Whether  he  was  born  in  Vir 
ginia  or  England  does  not  appear.  It  seems  to  be  ac 
cepted  as  a  fact  that  he  was  taken  to  the  colony  of 
North  Carolina  about  the  year  1730,  and  near  the  end 
of  the  century  removed  with  his  son  Nathan  and  a 
numerous  family  of  children  and  grandchildren  to 
Sumner  County,  Tenn.,  and  thence,  two  years  later,  to 
Bedford  County,  where  he  died  at  an  advanced  age. 
Nathan  Forrest  was  the  father  of  eight  children — five 
sons  and  three  daughters.  The  sons  were  mostly  stock 
traders,  but  one  was  a  tailor.  They  were  all  men  of 
good  character.  None  of  the  name  can  be  found  in 
that  part  of  the  country  now. 

From  the  foregoing  brief  genealogy  it  will  be  seen 
that  Nathan  Bedford  Forrest  came  of  a  blended  strain 
of  English,  Scotch,  and  Irish  blood,  inheriting  the 
qualities  of  courage,  tenacity  of  purpose,  clearness  of 
judgment,  and  alertness  of  action  which  enabled  him 
to  ever  make  the  best  of  trying  occasions,  and  to  be 
come  one  of  the  famous  cavalry  leaders  of  the  world. 


ANCESTRY   AND    EARLY    LIFE.  3 

The  Forrests  were  plain,  honest  people  who  were  in  the 
vanguard  of  fearless  pioneers  advancing  from  the  older 
settlements  along  the  eastern  coasts  to  the  then  far 
West  and  Southwest.  They  followed  the  bridleways 
of  civilization,  and  the  trails  of  the  Indian  and  the 
buffalo.  It  is  related  of  this  branch  of  the  family  that 
while  they  were  industrious,  temperate,  frugal,  and  in 
every  way  honorable  and  respected  by  their  neighbors, 
they  were  not  overfortunate  in  acquiring  wealth.  The 
conditions,  the  hardships,  and  severe  trials  of  life  in  a 
wild,  unhealthy  country  were  not  easy  to  overcome. 
The  necessities  of  life  were  barely  attainable  by  sever 
est  labor  and  the  closest  economy.  The  ordinary  com 
forts  of  to-day  would  have  seemed  then  as  enervating 
and  unnecessary  luxuries. 

William  Forrest  and  his  wife,  the  father  and  mother 
of  Bedford,  had  their  share  of  toil  and  care,  and  like 
many  other  poor  people,  were  blessed  with  a  large  family 
of  children,  consisting  of  eight  sons  and  three  daugh 
ters.  In  1834  William  Forrest,  following  the  tide  of 
emigration  ever  seeking  cheaper  lands,  removed  his 
family  to  Tippah  County,  north  Mississippi,  and  settled 
near  the  site  of  a  hamlet  which  became  known  as  Salem, 
in  the  Oklahoma  of  that  period — just  vacated  by  the 
Chickasaw  Indians,  and  being  rapidly  occupied  by  white 
settlers.  The  aborigines  were  slowly  and  reluctantly 
disappearing  to  find  new  homes  west  of  the  Mississippi 
River.  But  even  after  that  the  dominant,  aggressive 
palefaces  had  to  encounter  many  hard  lines  of  soil  and 
climate.  The  new  settlers  were  largely  of  an  adven 
turous  disposition,  coming  from  nearly  all  the  older 
States.  There  were  no  universities  to  speak  of  in  those 
days,  and  but  few  colleges  or  other  schools  worthy  of 
the  name.  Only  a  favored  and  limited  number  could 
attend  any  of  these  even  if  so  inclined.  The  average 
poor  boy  might  pick  up  a  little  elementary  learning  in 


4  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

such  far-apart  schools  as  there  were,  but  unless  he 
had  some  dream  of  ambition  above  the  average,  or  un 
usual  introspection,  he  was  likely  to  remain  in  the  fur 
rows  of  every-day  life.  He  might  make  a  good  citi 
zen,  answer  roll-call  on  muster-day,  work  the  road, 
or  serve  on  the  jury  when  summoned,  pay  his  taxes, 
go  to  church  occasionally,  attend  corn-shuckings, 
house-raisings,  log-rollings,  and  shooting-matches,  and 
might  be  elected  a  justice  of  the  peace  or  school  trustee, 
or  even  go  to  the  Legislature  for  one  term ;  yet  in  the 
course  of  time  he  would  be  numbered  with  his  fathers, 
go  to  the  country  church  or  farm  graveyard,  and  be 
quickly  forgotten. 

Nathan  B.  Forrest  grew  up  in  a  period  when  public 
schools  in  Tennessee  and  Mississippi  were  limited  to 
sessions  of  not  more  than  three  months  a  year,  and 
often  the  boys  had  to  stop  to  sow  wheat,  haul  wood, 
go  to  mill,  and  do  other  work.  It  is  claimed  that  the 
future  general  went  to  school  three  months  in  Ten 
nessee  and  three  in  Mississippi.  There  were  some  rich 
people  in  those  days  in  a  comparative  sense,  but  often 
these  were  land  poor,  and  only  kept  up  their  credit  and 
financial  standing  by  close  management  and  the  in 
crease  of  slave  property.  The  Forrests  were  not  large 
landed  proprietors  or  the  owners  of  negroes  in  the 
early  part  of  this  century,  but  they  were  people  of  good 
repute,  of  strong  arms  and  stout  hearts,  well  fitted 
by  nature  and  experience  to  lead  the  way  in  a  new 
and  wild  country.  No  attempt  is  made  here  to  go  into 
any  extensive  genealogical  research;  but  it  may  be 
taken  for  granted  almost  as  an  axiom  that  whenever 
a  man  even  of  most  obscure  origin  greatly  distin 
guishes  himself  above  his  fellows  he  has  good  blood 
back  of  him,  and  is  but  a  reproduction  of  some  strong 
ancestors.  Usually  it  can  be  traced,  especially  on 
his  mother's  side,  without  going  very  far  back;  and 


Nathan   B.  Forrest  in  early  life. 


ANCESTRY   AND    EARLY   LIFE.  5 

so  in  this  instance  it  appears  that  Nathan  B.  Forrest 
derived  more  of  his  aspirations  and  heroic  mold  of 
character  from  his  Scotch-Irish  mother  than  from 
the  worthy  blood  of  his  English  descent.  But  be  that 
as  it  may,  he  had  the  will-power  and  self-assertive- 
ness  to  rise  above  the  common  environmenta  of  life 
and  to  leave  a  name  on  the  enduring  pages  of  Ameri 
can  iustory. 

\  It  was  in  1837  that  William  Forrest,  the  hard 
working  blacksmith,  died  in  Tippah  County,  Miss. 
Bedford  was  then  not  quite  sixteen  years  old.  After 
that  the  aim  of  the  boy — the  oldest  son — seems  to  have 
been  to  care  for  those  dependent  upon  him  and  his 
mother,  rather  than  to  become  acquainted  with  books 
and  school-teachers.  He  worked  i^roically,  and  soon 
met  with  a  fair  measure  of  success;  In  a  few  years, 
however,  malarial  and  typhoid  fevers  had  reduced  the 
family  by  the  death  of  two  sons  and  three  sisters,  in 
cluding  Fanny,  the  twin  born  with  him.  Young  Bed 
ford  was  prostrated  himself  with  the  prevalent  sick 
ness  of  the  country,  and  lay  at  death's  door  for  many 
weeks.  But,  speaking  from  the  human  standpoint,  his 
superior  constitution  and  will-power  triumphed,  and 
at  the  age  of  twenty  he  was  a  sound,  stalwart  young 
man,  well  equipped  for  the  arduous  duties  of  life  be 
fore  him,  so  far  as  could  then  be  seen. 

Many  instances  are  related  of  his  prowess  and  de 
cision  of  character  in  early  youth.  On  one  occasion  in 
Mississippi  his  mother  and  her  sister,  Fanny  Beck, 
returning  home  on  horseback  from  a  visit  to  a  neigh 
bor  who  lived  several  miles  away,  were  pursued  by  a 
panther.  Mrs.  Forrest  carried  a  basket  of  young 
chickens  which  the  wild  beast  scented.  They  ran  their 
horses  at  full  speed,  and  Miss  Beck  urged  her  sister 
to  drop  the  chickens,  but  she  held  on.  Coming  to  a 
creek  near  home,  at  dark,  it  was  necessary  to  slacken 


6  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

their  speed.  There  the  hungry  animal  sprang  up 
behind  Mrs.  Forrest,  clawing  her  frightfully  upon  the 
shoulder  and  neck,  and  also  severely  wounding  the 
horse  which,  wild  with  the  pain  and  fright,  plunged 
and  reared  in  the  water  until  the  panther  fell  into 
the  stream.  The  horse  died  immediately.  Mrs.  For 
rest  was  badly  hurt,  and  the  clothes  were  torn  from  her 
back,  but,  Scotchlike  in  tenacity,  she  held  to  her 
chickens.  The  screams  of  the  women  brought  out  the 
whole  Forrest  household,  and  the  loved  mother  was 
soon  tenderly  cared  for  by  young  Bedford  and  others. 
After  that  he  took  down  his  old  flintlock  gun,  whistled 
to  his  hounds,  and,  in  spite  of  the  protests  of  his 
mother  and  all,  started  after  the  panther.  Following 
the  trail  through  briers,  tangled  vines,  and  dense  woods 
until  midnight,  the  dogs  treed  the  wild  beast  in  the 
depths  of  the  forests.  Waiting  patiently  until  daylight, 
Bedford  discovered  the  fierce  enemy  lying  flat  on  a 
limb,  lashing  its  tail  and  snarling  at  the  dogs.  Then, 
carefully  priming  his  gun  from  an  old-fashioned  pow 
der-horn,  he  shot  the  animal  through  the  heart,  and 
it  fell  dead  to  the  earth.  By  nine  o'clock  young  For 
rest  was  back  at  home  with  the  ears  and  scalp  of  the 
panther  as  a  trophy. 

At  another  time,  soon  after  the  death  of  his  father, 
a  neighbor's  ox  committed  a  series  of  depredations  on 
the  Forrest  farm,  seriously  injuring  growing  crops, 
and  easily  knocking  down  any  fences  that  stood  in 
the  way.  Finally  the  widow's  son  sent  word  to  the 
owner  that  he  would  shoot  the  animal  if  found  in  his 
fields  again.  The  man  scornfully  and  angrily  returned 
a  message  that  whoever  shot  that  ox  would  be  shot 
himself.  It  was  not  long  before  young  Forrest  dis 
covered  the  same  old  forager  feeding  in  his  corn-field. 
Securing  his  rifle,  he  made  haste  to  the  scene  and 
shot  the  thief  dead.  As  he  finished  reloading,  the 

r1 


ANCESTRY  AND   EARLY   LIFE.  7 

neighbor,  in  a  towering  rage,  appeared  with  his  rifle 
on  the  outside  of  the  fence.  Starting  to  climb  over 
he  heard  the  second  crack  of  young  Forrest's  rifle. 
The  bullet  whistled  by,  cutting  through  his  clothes ; 
he  fell  to  the  ground  on  the  outside  as  if  shot,  and  never 
stopped  running  until  he  was  safe  at  home,  after  which 
there  was  no  other  trouble  between  the  Forrests  and 
their  blustering  neighbor.  Such  an  affair  in  the  life 
of  the  boy  gave  promise  of  the  man  which  was  in  his 
mature  years  abundantly  fulfilled.  Dr.  Wyeth  says : 
"  Within  recent  years  there  was  living  at  Chapel  Hill, 
Tenn.,  an  aged  lady  who  was  well  acquainted  with 
the  family  of  William  Forrest,  and  she  remembers 
Bedford  as  a  mere  child  and  young  boy.  But  the 
only  peculiarity  she  could  recall  of  him  was  that  when 
at  play  he  could  make  more  noise,  and  when  his  mother 
was  whipping  him  he  could  yell  louder,  than  any  child 
in  the  neighborhood."  This  too  may  have  been  pro 
phetic  of  the  greater  noise  he  was  to  make  in  the 
world.  His  good  Scotch  mother,  who  cooked  her  Sun 
day  dinners  on  Saturday,  no  doubt  had  a  strong  Cal- 
vinistic  tinge  in  her  character,  and  believed  in  the 
laying  on  of  hands,  and  her  eldest  son  seems  to  have 
learned  at  an  early  day  that  the  fiercer  the  rebel  yell 
the  sooner  the  battle  would  be  over/  But  there  really 
is  not  much  to  be  learned  of  Forrest's  boyhood  days. 
He  was  over  forty  years  old  before  he  began  to  be 
famous  early  in  the  war,  and  the  people  who  had 
known  him  in  his  days  of  poverty,  hardships,  and  ob 
scurity  were  widely  scattered.  There  were  no  chron 
icles  in  those  days  of  little  hatchet  stories,  or  records 
of  the  precocious  doings  and  sayings  of  the  backwoods 
lad,  however  suggestive  these  may  have  been.  His 
life  was  a  hard  one,  and  had  never  one  gleam  of  ro 
mance  or  bright  hope  in  it  until  he  met,  loved,  and  won 
the  noble  woman  who  became  his  good  angel  and  con- 


8  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

trolling  spirit  all  the  rest  of  his  days.  This  event  is 
mentioned  in  its  proper  order. 

General  Forrest's  sisters  all  died  early  in  life.  His 
brothers  who  grew  up  to  manhood  were  as  follows : 
John,  next  to  him,  who  served  in  the  Mexican  War, 
and  received  a  gunshot  wound  which  paralyzed  the 
lower  half  of  his  body  so  that  he  could  only  walk  on 
crutches.  He  was  living  at  the  Worsham  House,  in 
Memphis,  in  1862,  when  a  Union  officer  with  a  detach 
ment  of  men  visited  his  mother's  place  a  few  miles 
northeast  of  Memphis,  and  acted  in  a  manner  which 
aroused  her  indignation.  All  her  other  sons  were  in 
the  army,  so  next  day  she  came  to  the  city  and  told 
John  what  had  occurred.  A  few  days  later,  as  he  was 
sitting  in  front  of  the  Worsham  House,  the  officer  came 
along,  and  John  charged  him  with  misconduct  and 
threatened  to  break  his  crutches  over  his  head.  The 
officer  began  to  abuse  the  whole  Forrest  family,  when 
John  arose  and  attempted  to  strike  him,  but  his  crutch 
was  kicked  from  under  him  and  he  fell  to  the  ground. 
As  he  lay  there  he  pulled  a  Derringer  and  shot  the 
officer,  wounding  him  so  severely  that  he  lay  at  death's 
door  for  several  weeks,  but  finally  recovered.  John 
Forrest  was  hustled  off  to  a  gunboat  in  port  and 
placed  in  irons  and  solitary  confinement.  General  For 
rest  sent  in  a  demand  for  his  release  or  humane  treat 
ment  until  he  could  have  a  proper  trial.  The  com 
manding  general  complied  with  this,  and  John  was 
released  upon  his  own  recognizance,  as  there  was  cer 
tainly  no  danger  of  his  running  away,  and  he  was 
afterward  acquitted.  He  lived  several  years  after  the 
war. 

William  Forrest,  the  third  son,  a  tall  captain  of 
scouts  during  the  war,  was  a  large,  handsome  man,  a 
daring  fighter,  and  was  wounded  several  times.  He 
was  very  quiet  in  demeanor,  but  quick  in  action,  and 


ANCESTRY   AND    EARLY   LIFE.  9 

in  personal  difficulties,  which  he  had  only  on  behalf  of 
some  weaker  friend,  was  a  dangerous  antagonist.  He 
led  the  charge  near  Days  Gap  on  Sand  Mountain  upon 
Streight's  daring  little  army  of  rough-riders  on  the  last 
day  of  April,  1863,  and  had  his  thigh-bone  shattered  by 
a  Minie  ball ;  yet  he  lived  to  perform  other  gallant  serv 
ice,  and  was  in  Memphis  several  years  after  the  war. 
He  died  in  1876. 

Aaron  Forrest,  the  fourth  of  these  brothers,  served 
as  lieutenant-colonel  of  a  Mississippi  cavalry  regiment, 
and  during  the  second  campaign  into  West  Tennessee 
and  Kentucky,  under  his  brother,  died  of  pneumonia 
near  Dresden,  Tenn. 

Jesse  Forrest,  the  next  brother,  was  colonel  of  a 
regiment,  and  served  with  the  courage  characteristic 
of  his  family.  He  was  severely  wounded  in  the  at 
tack  on  Athens,  Ala.,  in  1864.  After  the  war  he  en 
gaged  in  business  successfully  in  Memphis,  became  a 
prominent  citizen,  and  reared  a  large  family.  He  has 
been  dead  several  years. 

The  sixth  and  last  of  the  sons  of  William  Forrest 
and  Miriam  Beck  who  became  adults,  born  four  months 
after  his  father's  death,  was  Jeffrey.  He  was  the  pet 
and  pride  of  his  eldest  brother,  and  was  given  by  him 
every  advantage  of  education  up  to  the  beginning  of 
the  war.  In  that  respect  Jeffrey  was  the  most  cul 
tured  member  of  the  family,  and  is  said  to  have  been 
very  popular  as  well  as  an  accomplished  gentleman. 
He  had  his  full  share  of  military  genius,  became  colonel 
of  a  cavalry  regiment,  and  while  commanding  a  brigade 
in  his  brother's  division  was  shot  through  the  neck  and 
instantly  killed  at  the  battle  on  the  prairie  near  Oko- 
lona,  Miss.,  in  1863.  He  had  been  commissioned  a 
brigadier-general,  but  the  commission  did  not  reach 
him  before  his  death. 

Six  years  after  the  death  of  William  Forrest  his 


10  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

widow  was  married  to  Mr.  Joseph  Luxton,  and  to 
them  three  sons  and  a  daughter  were  born.  Two  of 
the  boys,  young  as  they  were,  went  into  the  Confeder 
ate  army,  making  seven  of  her  sons  in  the  service.  The 
youngest  Luxton,  born  in  1848,  remained  at  home 
some  time  after  the  death  of  his  father,  though  he 
passed  through  the  lines  late  in  the  war.  Mrs.  Forrest- 
Luxton  has  been  incorrectly  described  as  a  six-footer 
of  herculean  frame,  high  cheek-bones,  and  of  rough, 
muscular  form  and  manners.  The  writer  remembers 
to  have  seen  her  and  formed  quite  a  different  impres 
sion.  He  has  also  talked  with  Mr.  J.  M.  Coleman,  who 
resides  (1902)  near  Memphis,  and  was  her  neighbor 
while  she  lived  in  Shelby  County,  and  with  others  who 
knew  her  as  well  as  Mrs.  Luxton.  They  agree  that  she 
was  about  five  feet  ten  inches  in  height,  and  weighed 
one  hundred  and  eighty  pounds.  She  had  dark  hair, 
and,  like  her  oldest  son,  had  bluish-gray  eyes,  was 
positive  in  character,  and  as  a  widow  was  head  of  her 
family,  but  kind-hearted  and  very  pacific  and  gentle  in 
expression  unless  aroused  to  assert  herself.  She  was  a 
strong  character,  a  loved  wife  and  loving  mother,  and 
worthy  of  the  race  of  heroes  whom  she  bore.  Soon 
after  the  war  she  removed  with  her  younger  children 
to  Texas,  where  one  of  her  sons,  Matthew  Luxton, 
became  sheriff  of  Uvalde  County.  She  died  in  1868, 
and  was  buried  in  Navasota. 

Taking  up  the  thread  of  Nathan  B.  Forrest's  ante 
bellum  life,  several  interesting  facts  may  be  mentioned. 
After  three  or  four  years'  hard  work  on  the  farm  with 
the  assistance  of  his  younger  brothers,  the  family  was 
placed  in  fairly  comfortable  circumstances.  He  often 
told  in  later  years  how  he  would  plow  all  day  and  then 
sit  up  late  at  night  making  buckskin  leggings,  shoes, 
and  coonskin  caps  for  himself  and  brothers,  for  in 
those  days  everything  the  people  wore  was  home- 


Forrest's  early   home  in    Hernando. 


ANCESTRY   AND    EARLY   LIFE.  II 

made,  and  scarcely  anything  was  bought  from  the 
country  stores  except  a  little  sugar  and  coffee.  In 
1841,  when  the  people  of  Texas  were  engaged  in  a 
struggle  with  Mexico  for  her  independence,  young 
Forrest  caught  the  military  ardor  of  the  times  and 
joined  a  company  of  volunteers,  organized  by  Captain 
Wallace  Wilson,  and  in  February  of  that  year  started 
from  Holly  Springs  with  his  comrades  for  Texas.  At 
New  Orleans,  however,  they  were  disappointed  as  to 
transportation  by  steamer  to  Galveston.  The  company 
was  disbanded,  and  many  of  the  members  returned 
home ;  but  Forrest  and  a  few  others  pushed  on  to  Hous 
ton,  where  they  found  that  their  services  were  not 
required.  Some  of  these  ardent  young  men  obtained 
money  from  friends  and  were  able  to  return.  Bedford 
Forrest  went  to  work  making  rails  on  a  plantation, 
and  when  he  had  earned  enough  money  returned  to  his 
home  after  an  absence  of  four  and  a  half  months.  Soon 
after  he  was  prostrated  with  a  fever  contracted  in 
Texas.  Restored  to  health,  he  labored  industriously 
for  a  year  on  his  mother's  farm,  and  in  the  meantime 
became  quite  a  dealer  in  horses  and  cattle. 

In  the  autumn  of  1842  an  uncle,  Jonathan  Forrest, 
offered  him  an  interest  in  an  established  business  of 
the  same  kind,  including  a  livery  stable  in  the  town  of 
Hernando,  twenty-five  miles  south  of  Memphis.  This 
he  gladly  accepted,  and  remained  there  for  several 
years.  He  was  successful,  and  soon  able  to  enlarge  his 
sphere  of  operations  and  accumulate  some  capital.  On 
the  20th  of  March,  1845,  ne  was  drawn  reluctantly 
into  a  personal  and  fatal  rencontre,  which  brought  him 
into  great  local  prominence,  and  made  a  lasting  im 
pression  upon  all  who  knew  the  young  man.  Her 
nando  was  little  more  than  a  frontier  town,  and  it  was 
the  habit  of  many  people  to  go  armed.  His  aged  uncle 
had  been  drawn  into  a  controversv  on  account  of  hav- 


12  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

ing  gone  on  the  bond  of  one  James  Martin,  the  guar 
dian  of  some  orphan  children.  A  family  named  Mat- 
lock  was  involved  in  some  way  also.  Bedford  was 
drawn  into  it  merely  through  sympathy.  On  the  morn 
ing  in  question  the  Matlock  brothers — William,  James, 
and  Jefferson — accompanied  by  their  overseer,  named 
Bean,  came  to  town  and  purposed  to  attack  the  elder 
Forrest.  Bedford  happened  to  come  across  the  square 
at  the  moment,  and  protested  against  four  men  assault 
ing  one.  The  whole  party  immediately  turned  on  him 
and  a  general  fusillade  followed.  The  first  shot  at 
Forrest  missed ;  ten  others  were  fired  by  the  attacking 
party.  Young  Forrest  was  wounded,  but  not  seriously. 
He  had  only  a  double-barreled  pistol,  which  he  used  ef 
fectively.  A  bystander  handed  him  a  bowie-knife,  and 
he  made  a  rush  for  the  Matlocks ;  three  of  them  were 
wounded,  two  seriously,  and  all,  with  Bean,  were 
driven  from  the  field.  In  the  melee  Jonathan  Forrest, 
the  uncle,  came  out  of  his  place  and  received  a  mortal 
wound  at  the  hands  of  Bean,  who  then  turned  and 
fled  into  an  office  near  by.  Bedford  Forrest  quickly 
followed,  and  found  Bean  hiding  under  a  bed.  Drag 
ging  him  out,  Forrest  exclaimed :  "  You  deserve  death 
at  my  hands,  but  I  am  too  brave  a  man  to  murder  one 
so  completely  in  my  power ;  I  give  you  your  life ;  "  and 
then  turned  him  over  to  the  civil  authorities.*  The 
sympathy  of  the  community  was  entirely  with  For 
rest,  and  after  he  gave  himself  up  to  the  officers  of  the 
law  he  was  released  without  bond.  The  others  when 
arrested  were  held  without  bail,  and  only  released  after 
long  confinement,  vigorous  prosecution,  and  heavy 
payrnent  of  costs  and  other  expenses. 

^Another  incident  will  serve  to  illustrate  the  coolness 


*  Statement  of  F.  W.  Chamberlain,  an  eye-witness  now  liv 
ing  in  Hernando,  Miss.,  taken  by  Captain  J.  A.  Loudon,  of 
Memphis,  in  June,  1900. 


ANCESTRY   AND   EARLY   LIFE.  13 

and  courage  of  the  man  and  the  times  in  which  he 
lived.  Riding  one  day  on  the  road  from  Hernando 
to  Holly  Springs  with  Mr.  James  K.  Morse,  a  promi 
nent  lawyer  of  the  former  place,  they  were  suddenly 
met  by  one  James.  Dyj>pn,  a  planter  of  the  neighbor 
hood,  noted  for  desperate  and  bloody  deeds,  who  cher 
ished  a  mortal  grudge  against  the  lawyer.  Without 
one  word  of  warning  Dyson  raised  a  double-barreled 
gun  and  shot  Morse  through  the  heart  with  a  rifle-ball, 
and  then  turned  the  other  barrel  on  Forrest  and  threat 
ened  to  shoot  him  merely  because  he  had  witnessed  the 
atrocious  murder.  Forrest,  however,  had  drawn  his 
pistol  and  cocked  it,  and  told  Dyson  to  make  sure 
work,  for  it  would  be  his  time  next.  Dyson  lowered 
his  gun  and  rode  off.  He  said  afterward  that  his  re 
maining  barrel  was  only  loaded  with  buckshot,  and  he 
was  afraid  that  he  could  neither  kill  nor  disable  For 
rest.  He  was  arrested,  vigorously  prosecuted  by  For 
rest,  and  convicted  of  murder  in  the  first  degree ;  but 
he  had  money  and  was  not  hanged. 

•The  next  great  event  in  the  life  of  Nathan  B.  For 
rest  was  his  dashing  courtship  and  marriage  to  Miss 
Mary  Ann  Montgomery,  a  woman  of  gentle  blood,  of 
Revolutionary  ancestry,  good  education,  and  most  lov 
able  character.  Their  meeting  was  accidental  and 
most  romantic.  He  was  riding  along  a  road  several 
miles  from  Hernando  one  Sunday  morning,  and  found 
a  carriage  and  horses  with  two  ladies  and  the  driver 
stuck  fast  in  the  middle  of  a  wide  creek.  Two  young 
men  on  their  way  to  church  were  sitting  on  their  horses 
near  by  as  interested  spectators.  Forrest  immediately 
dismounted,  waded  out  to  the  carriage,  and  offered  to 
carry  the  ladies  ashore,  which  he  quickly  did  one  at 
a  Hme.  They  proved  to  be  Mrs.  Montgomery  and 
daughter.  Going  back  into  the  stream  he  and  the 
driver  succeeded  in  getting  the  carriage  and  horses  to 


14  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

the  bank  and  helped  the  ladies  back  to  their  seats  ;  then, 
turning  upon  the  tender  young  men  on  the  horses,  he 
gave  them  a  piece  of  his  mind,  and  threatened  to  thrash 
them  both  within  an  inch  of  their  lives  if  they  did  not 
leave  at  once,  and  they  took  the  hint.  The  ladies  were 
profuse  in  their  thanks,  and  Forrest,  introducing  him 
self,  asked  permission  to  call  on  them,  which  they  read 
ily  granted.  He  lost  but  little  time,  and  when  he  made 
his  appearance  at  their  mansion  a  few  days  later  he  was 
surprised  and  disgusted  to  find  the  same  two  young 
gentlemen  in  the  parlor,  waiting  for  the  ladies,  and  told 
them  tersely  that  their  room  would  be  worth  more 
than  their  company.  Again  they  left  without  standing 
upon  the  order  of  their  going.  One  of  them  was  a 
minister,  or  preparing  to  be  such.  Forrest  was  cor 
dially  welcomed,  and  at  once  fell  in  love  with  the 
beautiful  Miss  Montgomery.  On  his  second  visit  he 
proposed ;  the  lady  was  surprised,  and  of  course  hesi 
tated  ;  he  then  bluntly  told  her  that  if  she  accepted 
either  of  the  two  young  men  paying  court  to  her,  or 
any  one  like  them,  she  would  IDC  neglected  and  left  to 
take  care  of  herself  as  she  was  that  Sunday  in  the  creek, 
but  that  he  had  a  business  and  would  be  able  to  give 
her  a  good  support.  He  wound  up  by  declaring  he 
was  determined  to  marry  her,  and  that  the  next  time 
he  came  he  would  bring  a  minister  and  marriage  license 
with  him ;  and  so  he  did,  and  they  were  married  on  the 
25th  of  September,  1845,  a  ^ew  weeks  after  they  first 
met.*  Forrest's  decision  and  action  in  this  impulsive 
love-affair  was  characteristic  of  the  man.  It  was  a 

*  Miss  Montgomery  was  born  in  Middle  Tennessee  on  the 
2d  of  October,  1826,  hence  was  nearly  five  years  younger  than 
the  man  she  married.  She  was  of  Virginia  ancestry,  of  Re^vo- 
lutionary  stock,  and  it  was  understood  in  her  family  that  she 
was  a  descendant  of  a  brother  of  General  Montgomery,  killed  on 
the  lofty  east  cliffs  of  Quebec. 


ANCESTRY   AND   EARLY   LIFE.  1 5 

very  happy  marriage,  and  they  were  devoted  to  each 
other  as  long  as  both  lived.  They  had  one  son,  Wil 
liam,  born  September  28,  1846,  who  followed  his  father 
into  the  army  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  and  served  with 
him  until  the  surrender,  and  a  daughter,  Fanny,  born 
two  years  after,  who  died  at  the  age  of  five  years. 

Forrest  continued  to  live  in  Hernando  and  pros 
pered  in  business  until  1849,  when  he  suffered  a  severe 
loss  from  a  venture  in  the  manufacture  of  brick  for  the 
erection  of  a  large  academy.  This,  however,  occurred 
through  a  breach  of  trust  of  an  agent  in  Memphis 
empowered  to  draw  money  from  bank.  In  the  same 
year  he  removed  to  Memphis,  and  became  a  dealer 
in  real  estate  and  slaves.  Among  the  many  narrow 
escapes  of  his  life  may  be  mentioned  one  that  occurred 
in  the  spring  of  1852  off  the  coast  of  Texas,  some  busi 
ness  having  called  him  to  that  State.  When  this  was 
accomplished  he  was  in  haste  to  return,  and  near 
Houston  took  passage  in  a  weak  old  steamer,  the 
Farmer,  for  Galveston.  The  captain  was  a  drunken, 
reckless  man.  Forrest  retired  early,  but  was  disturbed 
by  a  noisy  set  of  gamblers ;  and  getting  up  to  quell  the 
racket,  which  he  did,  he  was  surprised  to  find  the  boat 
in  a  race  with  another  steamer.  The  chimneys  were 
red  hot,  the  furnace  in  a  roar,  the  timbers  fairly  creak 
ing,  and  the  drunken  captain  having  more  fuel  thrown 
under  the  boilers.  His  boat  was  ahead ;  he  was  within 
six  miles  of  Galveston,  and  swore  he  would  "  get  there 
first  or  blow  the  old  tub  and  every  soul  on  board  to 
h — 11."  Mr.  Forrest  protested  in  vain,  then  walked 
abaft  and  waited  for  the  explosion,  which  soon  came 
with  terrific  force.  The  vessel  was  shattered  to  splin 
ters  and  sixty  lives,  including  that  of  the  captain,  were 
lost.  The  competing  racer  came  up  and  took  off  the 
survivors,  Forrest  among  the  others,  half-dressed  as 
he  had  been  when  he  left  his  stateroom  a  few  moments 


l6  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

before.  His  only  injury  was  a  bruised  shoulder,  but  he 
aided  actively  in  rescuing  the  wounded  and  transfer 
ring  the  dead. 

There  was  some  prejudice  even  in  those  days  in  the 
South  against  a  man  known  as  a  negro-trader,  al 
though  it  was  as  legitimate  as  horse-trading  or  any 
other  business.  But  Forrest,  by  his  integrity  and  fair 
dealing  and  the  humane  manner  in  which  he  treated 
the  slaves  in  his  hands,  overcame  this  feeling  to  a 
great  degree,  and  soon  acquired  the  respect  and  good 
will  of  the  community.  Old  citizens,  who  remember  so 
far  back,  unite  in  saying  that  he  avoided  and  refused  to 
allow  the  separation  of  negroes  of  the  same  family. 
He  took  in  as  a  partner  Robert  L.  Balch,  who  after 
ward  was  a  private  and  still  later  became  by  election 
major  of  Forrest's  famous  regiment.  If  only  from  the 
motive  of  self-interest  Forrest  would  have  been  kind 
to  his  slaves.  JHe  was  a  man  of  strikingly  handsome 
appearance  and^dressed  well ;  the  negroes  were  proud 
to  belong  to  him,  for  he  required  them  to  be  neat 
and  tidy  in  appearance,  and  of  course  they  were  well 
fed  and  housed.  He  had  a  slave-yard  enclosed  by  a 
high  brick  wall  on  Adams  Street  near  Third  in  Mem 
phis.  Continuing  on  these  lines  of  business,  and  also 
maintaining  a  large  sales  stable  of  fine  horses  until 
1859,  he  had  acquired  quite  a  fortune,  and  disposing 
mainly  of  his  interests  in  Memphis  he  bought  two 
large  cotton  plantations  in  Coahoma  County,  Miss.,  and 
one  in  Tunica  County  and  other  real  estate.  He  also 
was  interested  with  Dr.  A.  K.  Taylor,  of  Memphis,  in 
another  plantation  twelve  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the 
St.  Francis  River  in  Arkansas,  and  the  year  before 
the  war  he  raised  and  marketed  one  thousand  bales  of 
cotton  at  a  net  profit  of  at  least  thirty  thousand  dollars. 

In  1857  an  incident  occurred  in  Memphis  which 
brought  Forrest  before  the  people  in  a  new  and  unex- 


ANCESTRY   AND    EARLY    LIFE.  I/ 

pected  light.  Two  men,  father  and  son,  Joe  and  John 
Able,  had  lived  in  the  city  and  rendered  themselves 
notorious  as  gamblers  and  by  various  acts  of  violence. 
The  father  killed  a  man  in  a  saloon  and  made  his 
escape.  In  June  of  that  year  John  Able,  the  son,  met 
a  man  named  Everson  at  the  Worsham  House,  and 
charged  him  with  having  insulted  his  (Abie's)  mother. 
Suddenly  and  without  warning  he  struck  Everson  with 
a  pistol  which  was  discharged,  and  the  latter  fell,  shot 
through  the  brain.  Able  went  to  jail,  but  as  his  char 
acter  was  not  the  best,  and  several  such  deeds  had  gone 
unpunished,  the  people  became  wildly  excited,  and  soon 
assembled  in  great  numbers  at  the  Worsham  House, 
resolved  upon  swift  punishment.  Bedford  Forrest 
came  upon  the  scene,  mounted  the  balcony,  and  made  a 
strong  talk  in  favor  of  moderation  and  a  law-abiding 
course,  and  concluded  by  announcing  that  a  meeting 
of  citizens  would  be  held  the  next  evening  at  the  city 
hall,  Exchange  Building,  to  consider  the  action  best 
to  be  taken  for  the  suppression  of  such  acts  of  violence. 
This  had  its  effect  for  the  time,  and  the  crowd  slowly 
and  sullenly  dispersed. 

The  evening  following  a  large  and  excited  crowd 
assembled  in  and  around  Exchange  Building.  The 
mayor  presided  and  Forrest  was  one  of  the  vice-presi 
dents,  but  they  were  in  a  volcano  of  human  passion. 
Suddenly  a  clear,  fierce  voice  rang  out :  "  Oh,  let's 
hang  Able  and  be  done  with  it !  "  A  thousand  other 
voices  seconded  the  motion,  and  the  crowd  adjourned 
in  a  run  for  the  jail  at  the  foot  of  Jefferson  Street  on 
the  levee,  only  three  squares  distant.  The  jailer  gave 
up  his  keys  to  the  ringleaders,  and  the  young  prisoner 
was  brought  out  half-dressed.  A  rope  was  thrown 
around  his  neck,  and  he  was  hurried  up  to  the  navy- 
yard  near  by,  followed  by  a  bloodthirsty  mob.  After 
some  little  delay  the  rope  was  adjusted  to  a  beam,  and 


18  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

all  was  ready  for  the  swinging.  At  this  moment  For 
rest,  who  had  remained  at  the  hall  to  consult  briefly 
with  the  mayor  and  other  cool-headed,  law-abiding  citi 
zens,  made  his  way  through  the  crowd  and  appeared 
by  Abie's  side.  The  young  man,  only  twenty  years  old, 
a  mere  boy  in  appearance,  was  perfectly  cool,  and  was 
protesting  that  he  was  justified  in  what  he  had  done, 
and  would  be  acquitted  if  allowed  a  fair  trial.  His 
mother  and  sister  had  reached  him,  and  were  pleading 
for  his  life  with  tears  in  their  eyes.  But  the  infuri 
ated  crowd  shouted  :  "  Hang  him !  Hang  him !  " 

This  was  a  moment  of  supreme  crisis.  Forrest, 
as  he  leaped  upon  the  platform  like  an  athlete,  as  he 
was  in  fact,  drew  a  knife,  cut  the  rope  from  Abie's 
neck,  and  announced  that  he  would  return  the  prisoner 
to  the  legal  authorities.  Nothing  but  the  surprising  au 
dacity  of  the  act  saved  Able  or  even  Forrest.  A  few 
of  the  latter's  friends  rallied  around  him,  and  they 
started  for  the  jail.  The  dumbfounded  ringleaders  re 
covered  in  a  moment  and  pursued.  Forrest  dropped 
behind  some  lumber-piles  with  Able  and  the  crowd 
actually  ran  over  them,  sweeping  away  their  little 
escort  and  striking  with  knives  and  clubs  as  they  went. 
After  the  mob  swept  by,  Forrest  reached  the  jail  with 
Able  alone,  and  securing  the  prisoner  safely  in  his 
cell,  came  out  to  find  the  mob  in  force  threatening  to 
tear  down  the  building  to  get  their  intended  victim. 
Forrest  drew  his  revolver  and  coolly  announced  that 
he  would  shoot  the  first  man  who  approached  the  door. 
There  was  no  ringleader  to  face  this  imperturbable 
man,  and  the  mob  of  three  thousand  slowly  melted 
away.  Forrest  awoke  next  day  to  find  himself  famous, 
at  least  in  a  local  way ;  the  papers  were  full  of  the  thrill 
ing  event,  and  this  man  was  the  hero  of  the  hour.  He 
had  vindicated  a  principle  in  a  time  of  wild  excite 
ment,  and  set  the  people  to  thinking  as  seldom  before. 


ANCESTRY   AND   EARLY   LIFE.  IQ 

While  Bedford  Forrest  never  had  any  taste  or  am 
bition  in  a  political  way,  or  sought  an  office,  he  was  in 
1858  elected  alderman  of  Memphis  and  served  one 
year,  exercising  the  excellent  judgment  and  quickness 
of  decision  for  which  he  was  noted  in  larger  affairs. 
In  1859  he  was  reelected,  but  before  the  end  of  his 
official  year,  being  called  away,  he  resigned.  Return 
ing,  however,  he  was  rechosen  by  the  board  of  alder 
men,  upon  whom  devolved  the  selection,  as  his  own 
successor.  He  was  very  watchful  of  public  interests, 
and  enjoyed  the  fullest  confidence  of  his  associates 
and  the  people,  for  he  was  known  to  be  absolutely  and 
ruggedly  honest  and  fearless.  Mayor  R.  D.  Baugh, 
who  was  in  office  when  Forrest  was  alderman,  said 
afterward :  "  While  alderman,  General  Forrest  never 
offered  a  resolution  to  the  board  on  any  subject  or  to 
carry  out  any  measure,  no  matter  how  unpopular  it 
might  be  at  first,  that  he  did  not  stick  to  it  and  work 
at  it  until  he  carried  it  triumphantly  through." 

Speaking  of  Nathan  B.  Forrest  when  he  was  still  an 
alderman,  Captain  J.  A.  Loudon,  now  of  Memphis, 
says :  "  It  was  on  the  wharf  at  Memphis,  in  the  fall 
of  1860,  that  I  first  met  him.  The  event  was  dramatic, 
and  made  a  lasting  impression  on  my  mind,  as  it  fully 
brought  out  the  grand  character  of  the  man.  My 
father,  Captain  John  Loudon,  had  a  contract  for  laying 
a  stone  wharf  in  front  of  the  city,  and  the  work  was 
nearing  completion.  That  portion  extending  from  the 
foot  of  Union  Street  to  Beal  had  been  left  until  toward 
the  last,  owing  to  some  springs  which  it  was  hoped 
would  be  dried  by  hot  weather  and  thus  secure  a  bet 
ter  foundation.  This  section  was  paved,  measured, 
and  accepted  by  the  city  engineer.  Then  a  sudden  rise 
of  the  river  occurred,  and  after  it  receded  it  was  dis 
covered  that  the  stonework  had  dropped  down  over  the 
springs.  At  my  father's  request  the  mayor  and  council 


20  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

went  to  examine  the  work  and  determine  what  should 
be  done.  I  was  but  a  youth,  yet  deeply  interested. 
They  marched  by  twos,  my  father  and  the  mayor  at  the 
head  of  the  little  procession,  Nathan  B.  Forrest  and  a 
strong,  stout  alderman  bringing  up  the  rear,  and  I 
fell  into  line  behind. 

"  Presently  an  alderman  near  the  front  dropped 
out  and  joined  the  next  set  of  twos,  then  the  next, 
and  so  on  to  the  last.  His  first  words  were : 

"  '  Mr.  Forrest,  we  have  concluded  to  condemn  the 
whole  of  this  work.' 

1  For  what  reason  do  you  condemn  the  whole  of 
this  wharf  ?  The  portion  we  have  passed  has  stood  and 
is  standing  the  test  admirably,  and  much  better  than 
I  thought  it  would.  Why,  I  remember  to  have  seen 
mule-drays  sink  in  the  quagmire  here  where  we  are 
walking,  which  is  perfectly  sound  and  safe ;  and  re 
member  we  have  not  reached  the  sunken  portion  which 
we  have  been  called  upon  to  inspect/ 

'  The  first  speaker  answered :  '  We  have  concluded 
to  condemn  the  whole  job ;  this  will  break  up  old  man 
Loudon,  and  then  we  can  give  the  work  to  one  of  our 
friends ;  and  we  want  you  to  help  us.' 

"  Forrest's  bright  gray  eyes  blazed  as  he  turned  on 
the  speaker  and  thundered  forth :  '  You  infernal  scoun 
drel  !  Do  you  dare  to  ask  me  to  be  as  d cl  a  rascal 

as  yourself?  I  have  a  big  notion  to  pitch  you  into 
the  Mississippi  River.  Now,  I  warn  you  if  you  ever 
presume  to  address  such  a  damnable  proposition  to  me 
in  future  I  will  break  your  rascally  neck.' 

"  Every  man  in  the  column  had  halted  and  heard 
every  word  that  Forrest  said,  and  after  that  resumed 
the  march  in  silence.  Reaching  the  sunken  portion, 
my  father  explained  that  the  pavement  could  be  made 
to  stand  by  inserting  a  honeycomb  or  open  stone  sewer 
to  drain  the  water  off  under  the  surface.  Mr.  For- 


ANCESTRY   AND   EARLY    LIFE.  21 

rest  took  the  lead  in  the  interview,  and  my  father's 
proposition  was  agreed  to  and  the  work  wras  repaired 
and  still  stands.  The  alderman  who  would  have  swin 
dled  my  father  and  turned  over  the  job  to  some  of  his 
friends  was  silent,  and  his  conspiracy  was  at  an  end." 

Several  years  before  the  war,  the  noted  phrenolo 
gist,  Dr.  Orson  G.  Fowler,  of  New  York,  visited  Mem 
phis  and,  as  usual  on  his  tours,  delivered  a  free  lec 
ture  in  a  public  hall.  Near  the  close  of  this  he  called 
upon  the  audience  to  choose  persons  present  to  be  ex 
amined  phrenologically.  There  was  a  loud  call  for 
"  Forrest,"  and  presently  a  tall,  but  muscular,  well- 
dressed,  farmer-looking  man  stepped  briskly  down  the 
aisle  and  up  on  the  rostrum. 

/Dr.  Fowler  looked  at  him  with  admiration  for  a 
mWnent,  ran  his  hands  lightly  over  his  head,  and  said 
very  impressively :  "  Here  is  a  man  who  would  have 
been  a  Caesar,  a  Hannibal,  or  Napoleon  if  he  had  had 
the  opportunity.  He  has  all  the  qualities  of  a  great  mil 
itary  genius.  If  he  could  not  go  over  the  Alps  he 
would  go  through  them ;  "  and  proceeded  in  this  strain 
at  some  length,  predicting  that  if  Mr.  Forrest  ever  had 
the  opportunity  he  would  yet  distinguish  himself  in 
some  way.  The  planter  retired  amid  tumultuous  ap 
plause,  little  dreaming  that  in  less  than  seven  years  he 
would  be  a  lieutenant-general  with  world-wide  and 
enduring  fame. 

We  have  now  followed  Nathan  B.  Forrest  in  a 
fairly  consecutive  order  of  events  from  his  birth  in 
a  plain  log  cabin  to  the  culmination  of  his  voca 
tions  in  i86o-'6i  as  a  business  man  and  planter  in 
north  Mississippi  and  Memphis.  He  had  passed 
through  varied  and  trying  experiences,  and  had 
reached  a  point  where  he  might  reasonably  expect  to 
rest  upon  his  well-earned  competency.  Having  led  an 
active  and  strictly  temperate  life,  he  was  in  the  full  en- 


22  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

joyment  of  perfect  health  and  physical  vigor.  Six 
feet  two  inches  high,  weighing  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
five  pounds,  straight  as  an  Indian,  of  perfect,  symmetri 
cal  frame,  confident  of  his  own  strength  and  resources, 
he  was  the  beau  ideal  of  a  volunteer  soldier.* 

*  The  Forrest  family  Bible  with  many  private  papers  was 
burned,  with  General  Forrest's  temporary  residence  on  Presi 
dent's  Island,  near  Memphis,  about  a  month  before  his  death  in 
the  autumn  of  1877.  The  loss  was  irreparable,  and  accounts 
largely  for  the  absence  of  exact  dates  as  to  births,  marriages, 
and  deaths,  in  the  foregoing  chapter. 


CHAPTER  II. 

FIRST    CAMPAIGN    IN    KENTUCKY. 

ON  the  i4th  of  June,  1861,  Nathan  Bedford  For 
rest,  the  wealthy  Southern  planter,  then  in  his  fortieth 
year,  enlisted  at  Memphis  as  a  private  in  Captain 
Josiah  S.  White's  company  of  troopers  and  took  his 
place  in  the  ranks.  This  became  "  Company  D  "  in  the 
Sixth  Tennessee  battalion,  stationed  for  a  time  at 
Randolph  on  the  river,  above  Memphis,  and  afterward 
belonged  to  the  Seventh  Tennessee  Cavalry  surrendered 
under  Lieutenant-General  Forrest  at  Gainesville,  Ala., 
in  May,  1865.  Forrest  had  been  a  State's-right  Demo 
crat,  but  was  opposed  to  a  dissolution  of  the  Union  so 
long  as  there  was  any  hope  of  peace  between  the  sec 
tions  ;  but  after  President  Lincoln's  proclamation  of 
April  15,  1861,  he  saw  the  storm  coming,  and  at  once 
decided  to  cast  his  lot  with  the  South.  About  the  loth 
of  July  Private  Forrest  received  a  despatch  from  Gov 
ernor  Isham  G.  Harris  calling  him  to  Memphis,  where 
he  was  given  authority  to  raise  a  regiment  for  the  pro 
visional  Government  of  the  Confederacy,  then  estab 
lished  at  Montgomery,  Ala.  Forrest  immediately  in 
serted  a  notice  in  the  Appeal,  calling  for  five  hundred 
able-bodied  men  to  report  to  him  at  the  Gayoso  Hotel, 
to  constitute  a  battalion  of  mounted  rangers.  All  who 
could  were  to  furnish  horses  and  arms — shotguns  and 
pistols  preferred,  the  men  to  be  credited  with  such 
property  when  mustered  into  service.  Knowing  that 
neither  the  State  nor  Confederate  Government  could 
3  23 


24  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  FORREST. 

arm  and  equip  his  command  efficiently,  he  made  a  trip 
to  Kentucky,  visiting  Paris,  Lexington,  Mount  Ster 
ling,  and  Frankfort  to  look  for  recruits  and  arms. 
Not  finding  many  recruits  at  once,  he  ventured  to 
Louisville  about  the  2Oth  of  July,  and  there  with  his 
own  means  bought  five  hundred  Colt's  revolvers,  one 
hundred  saddles,  and  other  equipments.  These  were 
loaded  into  wagons  at  night  by  six  young  volunteers 
— not  over  eighteen  years  old — and  started  on  the 
road  south.  Thence  going  to  Bradenburg,  Meade 
County,  Ky.,  Colonel  Forrest  mustered  in  a  com 
pany  of  ninety  men — the  Boone  Rangers,  under  Cap-' 
tain  Frank  Overton — which  became  the  first  company 
of  the  regiment  ultimately  formed.  The  men  left  in 
small  parties,  and  rendezvoused  near  Nolin  Station  on 
the  Louisville  and  Nashville  Railroad.  Forrest  followed 
with  his  wagons,  overtook  the  men  there,  and  they  all 
proceeded  safely  through  the  country  to  Memphis. 
Meantime  Captain  Charles  May  had  organized  a  com 
pany  called  the  Forrest  Rangers.  These  two  formed 
the  nucleus  of  the  battalion  which  was  organized  with 
eight  companies  about  the  1st  of  October,  1861.  They 
were  as  follows :  Company  A,  Captain  Overton,  Brad 
enburg,  Ky.  (ninety  strong)  ;  Company  B,  Captain 
Bocat,  southern  Alabama  (eighty  strong)  ;  Com 
pany  C,  Captain  May,  Memphis  (ninety  strong)  ; 
Company  D,  Captain  Gould,  Texas  (ninety  strong)  ; 
Company  E,  Captain  Trewhart,  Gadsden,  Ala.  (eighty 
strong)  ;  Company  F,  Captain  Kelley,  Huntsville,  Ala. 
(ninety  strong) ;  Company  G,  Captain  Logan,  Harrods- 
burg,  Ky.  (about  forty-five  strong) ;  Company  H,  Cap 
tain  Milner,  Marshall  County,  Ala.  (eighty-five  strong) ; 
altogether  about  six  hundred  and  fifty  strong.  In  the 
second  week  of  October  an  election  of  field  officers  was 
held.  Nathan  B.  Forrest  was  chosen  lieutenant-colonel 
without  opposition,  and  Captain  D.  C.  Kelley  became 


FIRST   CAMPAIGN    IN    KENTUCKY.  25 

major;  Lieutenant  C.  A.  Schuyler  was  appointed  adju 
tant,  with  J.  P.  Strange,  a  young  merchant  of  Memphis, 
as  his  sergeant-major.  Soon  after  the  organization 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Forrest  was  ordered  to  march  to 
Fort  Donelson,  at  Dover,  Middle  Tennessee,  and  the  en 
tire  battalion  reached  there  in  the  latter  part  of  October. 
The  command  was  indifferently  armed,  half  the  men 
having  only  shotguns.  Fort  Donelson,  then  an  unim 
portant  place  comparatively,  was  commanded  by  Colo 
nel  A.  Heiman,  of  the  Tenth  Tennessee  Infantry,  with 
about  five  hundred  men.  Forrest  was  ordered  to  look 
out  for  gunboats  coming  up  Cumberland  River.  Pro 
ceeding  as  far  as  Canton,  Ky.,  he  was  ordered  by  Gen 
eral  Lloyd  Tilghman  to  report  to  his  headquarters  at 
Hopkinsville,  Ky. ;  thence  he  was  ordered  about  the 
middle  of  November  to  the  Ohio  River  to  report  move 
ments  between  the  Cumberland  and  Green  rivers. 
Reaching  Princeton,  Major  Kelley  with  a  detachment 
made  a  detour  and  captured  a  steam  transport  on  the 
Ohio  River  loaded  with  sugar,  coffee,  blankets,  and 
other  desirable  supplies.  Just  as  he  returned  with 
the  booty  word  came  that  the  gunboat  Conestogo  had 
gone  up  the  Cumberland  River  to  seize  some  clothing 
stored  at  Canton  for  the  Confederates.  Forrest  set 
out  with  the  whole  battalion,  and  riding  all  night 
made  the  distance  of  thirty-two  miles  in  eight  hours, 
reaching  the  place  next  morning.  A  four-pounder 
piece  of  artillery  was  brought  along  from  Princeton. 
The  gunboat  soon  came  in  sight,  and  after  recon- 
noitering  shelled  the  woods  to  feel  for  an  enemy. 
Lieutenant  Sullivan  responded  with  his  little  four- 
pounder,  but  was  compelled  to  retire  to  a  safer  position. 
The  commander  of  the  Conestogo  kept  up  the  firing 
for  several  hours,  but,  concluding  it  might  not  be  safe 
to  land,  closed  the  port-holes  and  steamed  back  down 
the  river.  This  was  the  first  experience  of  Forrest  and 


26  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

his  men  under  fire  from  a  gunboat.  They  were  in 
concealment,  and  fired  at  the  port-holes  of  the  gunboat, 
but  with  what  effect  was  not  then  known.  No  casual 
ties  were  reported  in  the  battalion.  Returning  to 
Hopkinsville  on  the  2ist  of  November,  the  command 
was  reenforced  by  two  companies  of  cavalry  from 
Alabama — one  the  McDonald  Dragoons,  under  Cap 
tain  Charles  McDonald,  and  the  other  under  Captain 
D.  C.  Davis,  from  Huntsville,  Ala. — these  making  ten 
companies  in  all. 

In  the  latter  part  of  November  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Forrest,  in  accordance  with  his  own  ideas  and  request, 
was  ordered  by  Brigadier-General  Charles  Clark  to 
make  a  reconnaissance  in  force  in  the  direction  of  Cal- 
houn  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Green  River,  Kentucky, 
where  General  Thomas  L.  Crittenden  was  reported  to 
be  at  the  head  of  a  large  Union  force  of  infantry  and 
cavalry.  He  advanced  to  Greenville,  where  he  captured 
some  ammunition  and  equipments ;  thence  to  Casey- 
ville,  on  the  Ohio  River,  and  on  toward  the  village 
of  Marion,  Crittenden  County.  Near  that  place  he 
narrowly  escaped  a  bullet  intended  for  him  which  killed 
the  surgeon  of  his  regiment,  Dr.  Van  Wick.  Forrest 
took  charge  of  a  detachment,  intending  to  arrest  one 
Jonathan  Bells,  a  Unionist  charged  with  having  caused 
the  imprisonment  of  a  prominent  Southern  sympa 
thizer.  Approaching  the  house  of  Mr.  Bells,  Dr.  Van 
Wick,  riding  beside  Forrest,  was  shot  dead  by  some 
one  within  who  escaped  by  the  back  door.  Had  Colo 
nel  Forrest  worn  as  showy  a  uniform  as  his  surgeon 
he  doubtless  would  have  ended  his  career  there  in  the 
wilds  of  western  Kentucky.  A  detachment  sent  after 
the  murderer  of  Dr.  V^n  Wick  met  ten  Baptist  min 
isters,  noted  for  their  Union  sentiments,  who  had  just 
returned  from  a  meeting  of  a  church  association  in  Illi 
nois,  and  they  were  brought  before  Colonel  Forrest. 


^—*~*^Z  SsZ^z^Z. 


FIRST   CAMPAIGN   IN    KENTUCKY.  27 

He  held  eight  of  them  as  hostages  and  sent  the  other 
two  to  Illinois  to  recover  some  Kentuckians  of  alleged 
Southern  sympathies  who  had  been  captured  by  a  raid 
ing  party  from  that  side.  The  emissaries  were  success 
ful,  and  all  the  preachers  were  soon  discharged  to  go  to 
their  homes.  This  expedition  returned  to  Hopkinsville 
after  an  absence  of  some  three  weeks,  and  brought  in 
quite  a  supply  of  hogs,  horses,  and  various  articles  for 
the  use  of  the  army.  There  was  a  considerable  Federal 
force  in  pursuit,  but  no  action  resulted.  On  December 
28th  a  company  of  forty  Tennesseeans  under  command 
of  Captain  Starnes  and  Lieutenant  McLemore  over 
took  and  joined  Forrest.  This  was  at  Greenville.  The 
roads  wrere  very  heavy  with  mud  and  ice,  and  move 
ments  were  made  with  difficulty.  The  advance,  some 
two  hundred  strong,  was  moved  out  eight  miles,  and 
there  the  report  came  by  a  scout  that  a  Federal  force 
of  about  five  hundred  had  crossed  the  road  a  few  miles 
distant,  and  was  moving  in  the  direction  of  Sacramen 
to,  a  small  place.  The  news  inspired  the  command  to 
ride  up  briskly,  although  the  men  and  horses  were 
already  tired.  During  this  movement,  rapid  as  it  could 
be  made,  a  well-mounted  Kentucky  girl  rode  up  by  the 
side  of  Colonel  Forrest  and  cheered  him  and  his  men 
on  to  the  charge.  Her  head  was  uncovered,  her  tresses 
flying  in  the  air,  and  her  face  aflame  with  enthusi 
asm.  The  colonel — always  a  ladies'  man — in  a  modest 
way  alluded  to  the  incident  in  his  official  report.  This 
sentimental  Joan  of  Arc  was  politely  asked  to  retire 
before  the  real  fighting  began. 

Pushing  on  rapidly,  the  Confederates  overtook  the 
Federal  rear-guard  within  a  mile  of  Sacramento.  The 
Union  cavalry  seemed  in  doubt  as  to  whether  the  pur 
suers  were  friends  or  foes.  Forrest  seized  a  Maynard 
rifle  from  one  of  his  men  and  fired  the  opening  shot, 
which  settled  that  matter.  He  had  by  this  time  gath- 


28  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

ered  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  his  men  who  had 
straggled  after  a  ride  of  thirty  miles  that  day,  and 
pushed  forward  only  to  fire  and  fall  back.  The  Fed 
erals  followed,  and  as  the  other  Confederates  arrived 
Forrest  ordered  flank  movements  by  Major  Kelley 
and  Captain  Starnes.  Meantime  he  had  dismounted 
some  of  his  troopers  and  engaged  the  enemy  directly  in 
front.  This  was  his  first  opportunity  to  adopt  the  tac 
tics  which  he  afterward  employed  with  such  success. 
As  Starnes  and  Kelley  swung  in  on  the  right  and 
left  Forrest  led  a  charge  in  the  center.  The  Union 
forces  fled  and  were  hotly  pursued — shooting  and 
shouting  as  they  went,  and  all  poured  pell-mell 
through  Sacramento.  Captain  Merriwether,  a  Ken 
tucky  Confederate,  was  shot  dead  with  a  pistol-ball 
through  his  brain.  Colonel  Forrest  with  his  saber 
struck  down  and  mortally  wounded  the  Federal  Cap 
tain  Bacon ;  Private  W.  H.  Terry,  by  Forrest's  side, 
received  a  fatal  saber-wound  at  the  hands  of  the 
Federal  Captain  Davis.  Forrest,  running  at  full  speed, 
collided  with  the  captain,  and  both  went  down  together. 
Davis  was  severely  injured,  and  at  once  surrendered. 
Forrest  was  bruised,  but  not  seriously  hurt.  During 
the  conflict  he  struck  down  three  of  his  opponents ;  of 
the  gallant  few  who  turned  to  fight  none  escaped.  It 
was  a  short,  thrilling  conflict.  The  pursuit  was  con 
tinued  some  three  miles.  The  Confederates  reported 
two  killed  and  three  privates  wounded.  Major  Mur 
ray,  commanding  the  Federal  detachment,  reported 
one  officer — Captain  Bacon — and  eight  soldiers  killed, 
and  forty  missing  out  of  the  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
eight  men  of  Jackson's  regiment  in  the  engagement. 
The  Federals  also  lost  Captain  A.  N.  Davis,  captured, 
and  Lieutenant  John  L.  Walters,  missing.*  Forrest 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  vii,  p.  63. 


FIRST   CAMPAIGN    IN    KENTUCKY.  29 

had  perhaps  two  hundred  men  in  the  fight,  with  about 
one  hundred  coming  up  from  the  rear — men  who  had 
straggled  in  after  a  long,  hard  ride.  Of  this  early 
sanguinary  conflict  on  the  border-line,  General  Thomas 
L.  Crittenden,  of  the  Union  army,  reported  to  General 
Don  Carlos  Buell  as  follows : 

CALHOUN,  KY.,  December  30,  1861. 

In  the  fight  beyond  Sacramento  we  lost  eight  killed 
and  eight,  perhaps  thirteen,  captured.  Over  four  hundred 
rebel  cavalry  surprised  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight  of 
Jackson's  cavalry  as  they  were  returning  from  a  scout  to 
South  Carrollton.  Major  Murray  and  other  officers  be 
haved  with  great  gallantry,  supported  by  about  forty-five 
men.  The  charge  was  repelled  and  the  men  resisted  the 
whole  body  of  the  enemy  for  ten  minutes,  when  some  das 
tard  shouted,  "  Retreat  to  Sacramento !  "  Most  of  the 
men  fled,  of  course,  and  did  not  stop  at  Sacramento.  Cap 
tain  Albert  G.  Bacon  was  killed  and  seven  privates.  The 
rebels  took  away  three  wagon-loads  of  dead  and  wounded. 
Although  outnumbered  and  partially  surprised,  I  think 
my  men  had  the  best  of  the  fight.  I  rode  out  to  Sacra 
mento  yesterday  and  found  Jackson  burying  the  dead — six 
of  our  men.  Five  or  six  of  our  men  were  so  badly  wounded 
that  we  could  not  bring  them  in. 

On  January  3,  1862,  General  Crittenden  reported : 
"  As  it  was,  the  casualties  of  the  enemy  were  equal  to 
ours.  We  had,  however,  to  mourn  the  loss  of  eight 
gallant  soldiers  and  three  officers  of  uncommon  brav 
ery  and  soldierly  qualities :  Captain  A.  G.  Bacon, 
killed,  Captain  A.  N.  Davis,  captured,  and  Lieutenant 
John  L.  Walters,  missing." 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Forrest,  in  his  report  from 
Hopkinsville,  December  30,  1861,  states  in  substance 
that :  "  Under  orders  to  reconnoiter  to  the  front,  I 
moved  from  camp  on  Thursday,  the  26th,  with  detach 
ments  from  Companies  A,  C,  and  D,  First-Lieutenant 


3O  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

Crutcher  and  Captains  May  and  Gould ;  detachment  of 
twenty-five  men  of  Captain  Merriwether's  company 
under  his  command.  Major  Kelley,  with  detachments 
from  Companies  E,  F,  and  G  under  Lieutenants  Hamp 
ton  and  Cowan,  had  been  ordered  to  Grenada  to  await 
orders.  Saturday,  27th,  at  Greenville,  formed  a  junc 
tion  with  a  detachment  of  forty  cavalry  from  Russell- 
ville  under  command  of  Captain  Starnes  and  Lieu 
tenant  McLemore,  who  with  Major  Kelley  were  await 
ing  my  arrival.  The  command — about  three  hun 
dred  strong — moved  forward  in  one  column.  We 
had  advanced  about  eight  miles  down  the  Rumsey 
Road  when  we  learned  that  the  enemy — five  hundred 
strong — had  that  morning  crossed  from  Calhoun  to 
Rumsey.  As  the  news  ran  down  the  column  it  was 
impossible  to  repress  jubilant  and  defiant  shouts,  which 
reached  the  height  of  enthusiasm  as  the  women  from 
the  houses  waved  us  forward.  A  beautiful  young 
lady,  on  horseback,  smiling,  with  unbound  tresses  in 
the  breeze,  met  the  column  just  before  our  advance- 
guard  came  up  with  the  rear  of  the  enemy,  infusing 
nerve  into  my  arm  and  knightly  chivalry  within  my 
heart.  One  mile  this  side  of  Sacramento  we  came  up 
with  the  rear-guard  of  the  enemy,  who  halted.  Taking 
a  Maynard  rifle  I  fired  on  them,  and  they  rode  off 
rapidly  to  a  column  which  formed  just  over  the  brow 
of  a  hill.  The  head  of  my  column  arriving,  I  or 
dered  it  forward,  but  after  skirmishing  ordered  it 
back,  dismounting  a  number  of  men  for  sharpshoot 
ers,  and  ordering  left-  and  right-flank  movements 
by  Kelley  and  Starnes.  The  rest  of  my  men  coming 
up,  we  charged  in  the  center  with  a  shout  all  along 
the  line.  The  enemy  broke  in  confusion.  Some  offi 
cers  made  a  stand,  but  soon  followed  their  men  at 
full  speed.  The  best  mounted  of  my  men  overtook 
them  and  applied  the  saber  freely  at  Sacramento,  and 


FIRST   CAMPAIGN   IN   KENTUCKY.  31 

continued  the  chase  two  miles  beyond.  At  this  point 
Captain  Bacon  and  Captain  Burges  were  run  through 
with  saber  thrusts,  and  Captain  Davis,  thrown  from 
his  horse,  became  my  prisoner  with  a  dislocated  shoul 
der.  The  enemy,  without  officers,  threw  down  their 
arms,  and  depended  alone  upon  the  speed  of  their 
animals.  My  horses  were  run  down,  and  I  deemed  it 
best  to  call  off  the  chase,  having  many  wounded  men 
clinging  to  their  saddles  to  prevent  themselves  falling 
to  the  ground.  Returning,  we  found  many  dead  and 
wounded.  Captains  Bacon  and  Burges  were  made  as 
comfortable  as  possible  at  the  nearest  farm-houses. 
There  were  killed  on  the  field  and  mortally  wounded, 
who  have  since  died,  about  sixty-five;  wounded  and 
taken  prisoners,  about  thirty-five.  Among  the  killed 
were  two  captains  and  three  lieutenants  and  several 
non-commissioned  officers.  .  .  .  Our  loss  was  Captain 
Merriwether  and  Private  Terry  killed,  and  three  pri 
vates  slightly  wounded."  Various  officers  and  men  are 
complimented  for  their  gallantry.  The  discrepancy  as 
to  losses  on  each  side — so  common  in  the  war — is 
something  for  the  intelligent  reader  to  decide  upon  for 
himself. 

The  following  order  indicates  another  change  of 
commanders  at  Hopkinsville : 

HEADQUARTERS  WESTERN  DEPARTMENT, 

BOWLING  GREEN,  KY.,  November  15,  1861. 
Brigadier-General  CLARK  : 

GENERAL:  I  am  instructed  by  General  Johnston  to  say 
you  will  proceed  to  Hopkinsville  in  obedience  to  orders 
you  have  received.  Six  companies  of  cavalry  under  Colo 
nel  Forrest  have  been  ordered  to  that  point.  General  Pil 
low  will  not  take  charge  of  the  operations  projected  at  that 
point.  You  will  receive  no  troops  from  General  Polk. 
...  *  W.  W.  MACKALL,  A.  A.-G. 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  iv,  p.  551. 


32  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

Forrest  made  the  following  report : 

HOPKINSVILLE,  KY.,  November  14,  1861. 
W.  W.  MACKALL,  Assistant  Adjutant-General: 

I  have  been  operating  with  my  command  of  eight  com 
panies  near  Fort  Henry  and  Fort  Donelson,  by  order  of 
General  Polk.  Finding  the  country  impracticable  for  cav 
alry  and  with  scant  subsistence,  I  moved  part  of  my  com 
mand  to  Canton,  north  side  of  Cumberland  River,  leaving 
two  companies  at  Dover.  I  am  of  no  use  south  of  Cum 
berland  ;  desire  my  command  united  and  can  do  vast  serv 
ice  with  General  Tilghman.  Will  he  so  order? 

N.  B.  FORREST,  Commanding  Tenn.  Cavalry. 

The  following  order  throws  some  light  upon  the 
plan  of  Confederate  operations  : 

HEADQUARTERS  WESTERN  DEPARTMENT, 

BOWLING  GREEN,  KY.,  November  i,  1861. 
Brigadier-General  TILGHMAN'S  Cavalry,  Hopkinsville: 

General  Johnston  directs  you  to  dr-w  back  your  com 
mand  to  Clarksville Send  your  sick  and  baggage  to 

the  rear  first.  At  Clarksville  employ  your  men  in  mak 
ing  defensive  works  planned  by  Major  Gilmer.  Maury's 
battery  of  artillery  has  been  ordered  to  Clarksville.  It 
is  understood  that  a  regiment  of  cavalry  [Forrest's]  is 
on  the  north  side  of  the  Cumberland  and  below.  .  .  . 
If  so,  apprise  the  colonel  of  your  new  position,  that  he 
may  not  be  attacked  unawares.  Colonel  Gregg's  regi 
ment  of  Texas  troops  ought  to  reach  Clarksville  to-day. 
The  value  of  the  railway  from  this  place  to  Clarksville 
must  not  be  lost  sight  of  in  the  pressure  of  other  business. 

W.  W.  MACKALL,  A.A.-G. 

After  the  Sacramento  affair  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Forrest  returned  to  Hopkinsville,  where  his  men  went 
into  camp  and  were  occupied  with  routine  duties,  drill 
ing,  grooming  the  horses,  making  themselves  comfort 
able,  and  getting  ready  for  further  hard  service. 


FIRST   CAMPAIGN   IN    KENTUCKY.  33 

Scouting  parties  were  sent  out  from  time  to  time,  but 
nothing  important  occurred  until  about  the  loth  of 
January,  1862,  when  General  Clark  ordered  the  regi 
ment,  as  it  might  now  be  called,  to  move  forward  on 
a  reconnaissance  in  the  direction  of  Calhoun.  Forrest 
soon  reported  a  Federal  force,  supposed  to  be  ten  thou 
sand  strong,  on  Green  River,  ready  to  move.  He  was 
ordered  to  return  and  burn  the  bridges  on  Pond  River, 
a  tributary  of  the  Green,  which  he  did.  Federal  forces 
were  reported  coming  from  Cairo  up  the  Tennessee 
River  and  from  Louisville.  General  Clark  evacuated 
Hopkinsville  about  the  7th  of  February,  and  Lieuten 
ant-Colonel  Forrest  covered  the  rear  of  this  movement 
as  far  as  Clarksville,  where  he  was  ordered  to  report 
with  his  command  to  Brigadier-General  Pillow,  and 
thence  was  ordered  to  Fort  Donelson  on  the  west  bank 
of  the  Cumberland  River.  * 

The  commander  of  Forrest's  Cavalry  now  began  to 
be  heard  of  and  to  figure  in  the  war.  From  this  time 
on  down  to  the  surrender  his  name  was  closely  con 
nected  with  operations  in  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  Geor 
gia,  Alabama,  and  Mississippi,  and  incidentally  with 
events  in  adjoining  States.  His  recognition  came 
slowly  and  reluctantly  even  in  the  house  of  his  friends, 
outside  of  those  close  to  him,  but  it  came  surely. 
There  were  certain  West  Point  and  political  elements 
in  the  South  as  well  as  in  the  North  that  were  none 
too  favorable  to  the  rapid  promotion  of  volunteers, 
and  N.  B.  Forrest  overcame  those  in  his  way  only  by 
supreme  self-reliance,  will-power,  and  genius  for  war. 
That  he  was  a  natural-born  soldier  and  leader  of  men 
was  demonstrated  in  every  skirmish  and  battle  in 
which  he  was  engaged.  The  Federals  found  out  what 
manner  of  man  he  was  long  before  he  was  properly 
appreciated  at  Richmond. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE   BATTLE   OF   FORT   DONELSON. 

THE  battalion  was  in  excellent  shape  and  spirits  and 
fairly  well  mounted,  although  not  very  well  armed  and 
equipped,  when  it  reached  the  neighborhood  of  Fort 
Donelson  on  Sunday,  the  Qth  of  February,  1862,  and 
was  ferried  across  Cumberland  River  the  next  day.  On 
Tuesday  (nth)  the  men  went  into  camp  in  the  rear  of 
the  entrenchments,  and  while  the  horses  were  yet  feed 
ing  on  the  first  forage  drawn,  an  order  came  from 
General  Pillow  to  move  out  on  the  road  toward  Fort 
Henry,  about  ten  miles  distant  on  the  Tennessee  River. 
This  supposed  Confederate  stronghold,  though  gal 
lantly  defended,  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Feder 
als  on  the  6th  of  February  after  a  fierce  bombardment. 
General  Tilghman  and  about  ninety  men  were  cap 
tured,  and  the  rest  of  the  garrison  escaped  across  the 
country  to  Fort  Donelson. 

It  may  be  remarked  here,  as  something  singular 
in  the  topography  of  the  country,  that  the  Tennessee 
and  Cumberland  rivers,  having  their  sources  widely 
apart  in  the  Allegheny  and  Cumberland  mountains, 
converge  closely  together  at  the  points  known  as 
Dover,  or  Donelson,  on  the  nort^i,  and  Fort  Henry  on 
the  southward,  and  thence  pursuing  almost  north 
west  and  parallel  directions,  empty  some  fifty  or  sixty 
miles  farther  on  into  the  Ohio  River  at  Smithland 
and  Paducah,  Ky.  Hence  Commander  Foote's  flotilla 
could  easily,  after  demolishing  Fort  Henry,  run  down 
34 


THE  BATTLE  OF  FORT  DONELSON.      35 

the  Tennessee  River  and  up  the  Ohio  and  Cumberland 
rivers  in  ample  time  to  take  part  in  the  assault  upon 
Fort  Donelson. 

Many  changes  and  improvements  had  been  made  in 
the  defenses  of  Fort  Donelson  since  Colonel  Forrest 
first  reported  there  three  or  four  months  previously. 
Major  J.  F.  Gilmer,  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  a 
West-Pointer,  and  an  experienced  military  engineer, 
who  afterward  became  chief  engineer  of  the  Confeder 
ate  army,  had  laid  out  the  works  of  the  place  and 
superintended  their  erection.  His  idea  seems  to  have 
been  more  to  obstruct  the  river  and  prevent  gunboats 
from  going  up  to  Nashville  than  to  resist  a  strong  land 
force.  Everything  possible  with  the  limited  means  and 
supply  of  tools  at  hand  had  been  done  for  the  defense 
of  the  place,  including  the  mounting  of  heavy  guns  in 
the  water  batteries.  This  formidable  armament  em 
braced  a  lo-inch  columbiad  of  a  hundred  and  twenty- 
eight  pounds,  a  rifled  32-pounder  (64-pound  bolt), 
eight  32-pounders,  and  two  32-pound  carronades. 

Brigadier-General  Bushrod  R.  Johnson,  an  officer 
of  military  education  and  experience,  reached  the  place 
and  assumed  command  on  the  7th  of  February ;  and 
Brigadier-General  Gideon  J.  Pillow,  who  had  been  a 
major-general  in  the  Mexican  War,  appeared  upon  the 
ground  on  the  Qth,  to  succeed  General  Lloyd  Tilgh- 
man,  captured  at  Fort  Henry,  and  went  to  work  with 
great  energy.  Reenforcements  poured  in,  and  with 
them  came  Brigadier-General  S.  B.  Buckner,  regarded 
as  an  accomplished  officer,  with  a  division  of  new 
troops ;  and  on  the  I3th  General  Floyd,  of  Virginia, 
the  senior  in  rank,  arrived  with  two  small  brigades 
from  Bowling  Green.  The  entire  Confederate  force 
hastily  concentrated  there  was  estimated  at  something 
over  fourteen  thousand,  rank  and  file,  although  Gen 
eral  Grant  in  his  Memoirs  claims  that  there  were 


36  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

twenty-one  thousand  men  within  the  Confederate  lines. 
This,  however,  may  be  an  open  question,  and  is  not 
of  real  consequence  in  a  work  of  biography. 

Tuesday  morning  Forrest  advanced  on  the  west 
toward  Fort  Henry  only  about  three  miles  when  he 
encountered  a  detachment  of  Federal  cavalry  which 
he  attacked  with  his  usual  vigor,  forcing  the  Union 
troopers  back  upon  a  heavy  column  of  infantry  and 
then  withdrawing.  The  next  morning  (Wednesday, 
1 2th)  he  advanced  with  his  own  command  of  ten  com 
panies,  three  companies  of  Kentucky  cavalry,  and 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Gantt's  battalion  of  Tennesseeans — 
a  force  of  about  thirteen  hundred  men,  over  which  he 
had  command  as  acting  brigadier-general.  The  Ken 
tucky  companies  were  commanded  respectively  by 
Captains  J.  K.  Huey,  Wilcox,  and  Williams.  This 
was  the  entire  strength  of  the  Confederate  cavalry  at 
Fort  Donelson,  and  some  of  that  was  without  ex 
perience,  training,  or  strict  discipline.  A  sharp  engage 
ment  soon  followed,  and  lasted  several  hours.  Forrest 
dismounted  a  part  of  his  men,  fighting  them  as  infantry, 
and  from  an  advantageous  position  on  a  ridge  checked 
the  advance  in  front  of  him.  The  Federals  made  a 
skilfully  conceived  flank  movement,  but  were  met  and 
repulsed  by  Major  David  C.  Kelley.  The  Union  infan 
try  support  then  came  forward  in  force,  and  Forrest  fell 
back,  skirmishing  as  he  went  until  within  the  entrench 
ments  of  Dover,  which  were  menaced  at  dusk  by  the 
advance  of  Grant's  army. 

Skirmishing  \vas  resumed  on  the  morning  of 
Thursday  (i3th),  the  Federals  moving  up  like  regulars, 
and  the  Confederates  acting  mainly  on  the  defensive 
within  breastworks.  Forrest,  however,  was  on  the 
outside  most  of  the  day,  making  observations  and  tak 
ing  an  active  part.  He  was  on  the  skirmish  line,  and 
depended  more  upon  his  own  eyes  than  upon  field- 


THE  BATTLE  OF  FORT  DONELSON.      37 

glasses.  Once  during  the  day  he  seized  a  gun  and 
brought  down  one  of  Birge's  Federal  sharpshooters 
who  was  making  himself  very  troublesome  from  a  tree 
several  hundred  yards  distant.  The  Federals  made 
charge  after  charge  with  reckless  gallantry,  but  for  the 
time  being  were  repulsed  with  heavy  losses.  There 
was  no  decisive  result.  That  night  the  weather,  which 
had  been  quite  pleasant,  suddenly  turned  cold  with 
gusts  of  sleet  and  snow,  which  continued  for  two  or 
three  days,  and  was  especially  severe  upon  the  illy  clad 
Southern  troops. 

On  Friday  afternoon,  the  I4th,  Flag-Officer  Foote, 
of  the  Federal  navy,  made  a  grand  assault  upon  the 
water  batteries  and  the  outer  works  of  Fort  Donelson 
facing  the  river.  His  flotilla  consisted  of  three  iron 
clads,  each  of  thirteen  guns  of  the  heaviest  caliber,  and 
two  wooden  but  well-armed  vessels,  nine  guns  each,  in 
the  rear.  Some  of  the  guns  were  rifled  loo-pounders, 
and  there  were  lighter  pieces  in  the  bows  and  stern. 
After  Foote's  effective  work  at  Fort  Henry  he  could 
reasonably  expect  to  speedily  reduce  Fort  Donelson. 
The  bombardment  that  afternoon  was  a  magnificent 
affair;  only  one  of  the  heavy  Confederate  guns  (com 
manded  by  Lieutenant  Hugh  L.  Bedford)  was  able 
to  respond,  as  its  mate  was  accidentally  spiked.  The 
others  were  worked  effectively  at  short  range,  and 
the  flotilla  was  repulsed  and  drifted  away  in  a  crip 
pled  condition,  not  to  appear  upon  the  scene  again. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Forrest,  with  his  major,  D.  C. 
Kelley,  better  known  as  "  the  fighting  preacher,"  rode 
up  from  the  flanks  and  witnessed  the  spectacular  duel 
which  fairly  shook  the  earth.  Forrest  became  greatly 
excited,  and  Major  Kelley  told  it  of  him  afterward 
that  he  exclaimed :  "  Parson,  for  God's  sake,  pray ! 
Nothing  but  God  Almighty  can  save  that  fort !  " 

On  Saturday  morning,  the  I5th,  bitterly  cold,  For- 


38  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

rest  set  his  troops  in  motion  at  four  o'clock  and  led 
the  advance  of  Pillow's  command  on  the  left.  Skir 
mishing  began  early ;  by  six  o'clock  the  battle  opened 
in  earnest  and  raged  for  two  hours,  the  Confederates 
seemingly  having  the  best  of  it.  Without  waiting  for 
orders  or  reenforcements  Forrest  made  a  flank  move 
ment,  charged  a  battery,  and  captured  six  pieces  of 
artillery,  four  brass  and  two  24-pounder  iron  pieces, 
and  lost  a  number  of  men.  Here  his  horse  was 
shot,  and  his  brother,  Lieutenant  Jeffrey  Forrest,  had 
his  horse  killed  under  him  and  was  badly  hurt  by  the 
fall.  After  this  he  moved  his  regiment  from  the  left 
toward  Buckner's  position  in  the  center,  and  from 
there,  supported  by  the  Second  Kentucky  Infantry, 
charged  upon  two  guns  with  strong  infantry  support 
on  the  flanks  and  in  the  rear.  The  cavalry  and  infantry 
went  in  together  under  a  terrific  fire ;  the  losses  were 
heavy  on  both  sides.  Forrest  and  his  men  got  to  the 
guns  first,  but  the  Kentuckians  were  at  their  heels,  and 
after  a  close  hand-to-hand  fight  the  guns  were  taken 
and  the  gunners  killed  or  carried  away  with  the  Fed 
eral  infantry. 

Here  Captain  Charles  May,  of  the  Forrest  Rangers, 
who  had  asked  to  be  allowed  to  lead  the  charge,  was 
killed.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Forrest's  horse — repeatedly 
wounded — received  a  fatal  shot  and  fell  dead  under  his 
rider.  Another  was  quickly  secured  by  Forrest,  who 
rode  forward  with  one  or  two  of  his  men  to  recon- 
noiter,  and  suddenly  came  in  view  of  a  battery  and 
strong  force  of  infantry,  and,  as  he  turned  to  dash 
away,  this  battery  opened  fire  and  a  shell  plowed 
through  his  horse's  body  just  under  the  saddle-skirt, 
and  the  cavalry  leader  was  once  more  left  on  foot.  He 
ran  to  the  rear,  joined  his  command,  and  reported  to 
General  Pillow,  who  had  ordered  Buckner  and  other 
infantry  to  fall  back  within  the  works.  This  was  about 


THE  BATTLE  OF  FORT  DONELSON.      39 

two  o'clock  Saturday  afternoon.  Forrest  was  ordered 
to  remain  upon  the  field  and  gather  up  the  wounded, 
the  guns,  and  other  military  supplies  to  be  found,  and 
was  so  occupied  until  about  six  o'clock.  Several  thou 
sand  stands  of  small  arms  were  thus  secured  and  sent 
inside  the  entrenchments,  as  well  as  the  six  guns  of  the 
captured  battery.  But  as  most  of  these  were  included 
in  the  surrender  of  the  fort  next  day,  they  were  of 
little  or  no  service  to  the  Southerners. 

The  Federals  had  undoubtedly  suffered  very  heav 
ily,  and  the  Confederates,  while  losing  also,  felt  that 
they  had  won  a  victory  to  be  followed  up  next  day, 
little  dreaming  of  surrender  or  retreat.  It  was  during 
and  near  the  close  of  this  bloody  fight  that  Captain 
Porter,  an  old  United  States  naval  officer  whose  bat 
tery  had  been  severely  cut  up,  and  who  was  himself 
wounded  by  a  shot  through  the  thigh,  on  being  car 
ried  away,  cried  out  to  a  stripling  of  a  lieutenant, 
"  Morton,  don't  let  them  have  the  guns !  "  Forrest 
heard  Porter's  exclamation,  and  afterward  found 
young  Morton  and  made  him  his  chief  of  artillery,  in 
which  position  he  greatly  distinguished  himself. 

A  little  after  midnight,  or  early  in  the  morning  of 
the  1 6th  of  February  (Sunday),  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Forrest  was  summoned  to  headquarters,  where,  to  his 
surprise,  he  found  Generals  Floyd,  Pillow,  and  Buck- 
ner,  with  some  other  officers,  holding  a  council  of  war 
and  discussing  a  surrender  to  General  Grant.  Nothing 
could  have  startled  or  aroused  him  more.  It  was 
argued  that  the  Federals  had  received  heavy  reen- 
forcements,  and  that  the  Confederates  were  short  of 
ammunition,  hungry,  tired  out,  half-frozen,  and  un 
equal  to  further  resistance.  Generals  Floyd  and 
Buckner  were  ready  to  give  up  ;  Pillow  was  in  favor 
of  continuing  the  fight.  "  That  was  what  they  came 
there  for,"  he  said.  Forrest  declared  that  the  army 
4 


40  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

was  not  penned  up,  surrounded,  or  whipped,  and 
stalking  out  to  his  camp  he  selected  two  reliable  men 
— Adam  Johnson,  afterward  a  Confederate  general 
officer,  and  B.  H.  Martin,  who  became  lieutenant- 
colonel  of  a  Kentucky  regiment — and  securing  a  trusty 
citizen  as  a  guide  he  sent  them  to  investigate  the  situa 
tion.  They  returned  in  an  hour  and  reported  that  the 
way  was  open  for  retreat ;  that  the  water  to  be  forded 
was  only  up  to  the  flanks  of  their  horses,  and  that  they 
saw  no  enemy,  and  only  some  old  camp-fires  fanned 
into  a  blaze  by  the  high  winds  or  kindled  by  wounded 
men.  Forrest  returned  and  begged  for  a  retreat  of 
the  army  if  it  was  necessary,  even  offering  to  furnish 
the  rear-guard.  Ammunition  was  expected  by  boat 
from  Clarksville  any  hour,  and  did  come  at  daylight, 
and  as  to  rations,  although  perhaps  not  well  distrib 
uted,  General  Grant  afterward  reported  that  he  cap 
tured  enough  rice  to  supply  his  army  for  twenty  days. 
It  was  decided,  however,  to  surrender.  Forrest  an 
nounced  that  they  could  not  surrender  his  regiment, 
and  was  told  that  he  could  go  if  he  started  before  a  flag 
of  truce  was  sent.  Returning  to  camp,  he  aroused  his 
men  and  told  them  he  was  going  out  if  he  died  in  the 
attempt.  They  mounted  their  horses  and  followed  him 
out,  all  except  one  company,  which  was  somehow  left, 
without  losing  a  man  or  seeing,  an  enemy.  Similar  risks 
we're  successfully  taken  hundreds  of  times  later  on  in 
the  war  by  soldiers  on  both  sides,  but  Forrest  set  the 
example  and  was  a  pioneer.  General  Pillow  held  the 
correct  theory,  and  came  away  or  rather  got  away 
ahead  of  Forrest.  General  Floyd  took  a  steamboat 
and  escaped  up  the  river.  Numbers  of  cavalry,  be 
sides  Forrest's  own  men,  as  well  as  infantry,  followed 
him,  and  reached  Nashville  or  went  to  their  homes  to 
recuperate.  One-half  or  two-thirds  of  the  ten  thousand 
or  more  men  who  were  surrendered  unconditionally  by 


THE  BATTLE  OF  FORT  DONELSON.      41 

General  Buckner  on  the  i6th  of  February  could  have 
been  saved  to  fight  under  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  at 
Shiloh.  Still,  the  surrender  was  made  in  good  faith, 
as  it  seemed  inevitable.  Instances  are  yet  related  of 
infantrymen  who  rode  behind  Forrest's  men  on  their 
horses  across  the  backwater  of  Lick  Creek  and  thus 
escaped  capture. 

There  has  been  much  said  and  written,  much  crimi 
nation  and  recrimination,  especially  on  the  Southern 
side,  as  to  the  causes  leading  up  to  the  surrender  of 
Fort  Donelson.  The  main  reasons  are  found  in  the 
facts  that  General  Grant's  army,  accompanied  by  a 
strong,  though  not  entirely  effective  flotilla,  outnum 
bered  the  Confederates  about  two  to  one,  was  far  bet 
ter  armed,  equipped,  and  clothed,  and,  being  from  the 
North,  could  better  endure  the  rigors  of  unusually  in 
clement  weather,  such  as  prevailed  the  last  two  days  of 
the  fight  and  investment.  The  Confederates  offered  a 
determined  resistance,  and  perhaps  made  the  best  of 
their  strength  and  resources,  but  they  were  under  the 
impression  that  their  ammunition  was  nearly  ex 
hausted,  when,  in  fact,  a  boat-load  reached  Dover  from 
Clarksville  on  the  morning  of  the  surrender.  Then  the 
idea  prevailed  that  they  could  not  get  away,  and  yet 
Forrest  and  his  men,  and  Generals  Pillow  and  Floyd 
and  parts  of  their  commands  escaped  without  seeing  a 
single  Federal  soldier  in  the  way.  The  part  taken  by 
Forrest,  then  only  a  lieutenant-colonel,  is  set  forth  with 
sufficient  clearness  in  a  report  he  made  early  in  Feb 
ruary,  1862,  and  is  well  worth  producing.  In  sub 
stance  it  is  as  follows :  "  I  arrived  from  Hopkinsville 
at  Fort  Donelson,  Monday  evening,  February  loth, 
and  finished  crossing  my  command  Tuesday  morning 
(nth).  On  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  I  was 
ordered  to  reconnoiter  in  the  direction  of  Fort  Henry. 
Three  miles  from  Fort  Donelson  I  met  the  enemv's 


42  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

cavalry,  supposed  to  be  six  hundred  strong,  pressed 
them  hard  about  six  miles,  captured  one  prisoner,  and 
mortally  wounded  several  others.  The  commanding 
general  signified  that  night  his  desire  that  I  should 
take  charge  of  all  the  cavalry  at  the  post.  Next  morn 
ing  (i2th)  I  went  out  with  my  own  regiment,  three 
Kentucky  companies  (Captains  Williams,  Wilcox,  and 
Huey),  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Gantt's  battalion  of 
Tennessee  cavalry.  Five  miles  on  the  road  to  Fort 
Henry  my  advance  met  and  engaged  the  advance  of 
the  enemy.  After  a  skirmish  they  retreated,  leaving 
several  dead  and  wounded.  The  enemy  halted,  ma 
neuvered,  and  began  to  move  by  parallel  roads  toward 
the  fort.  I  changed  my  position  from  the  right  to  the 
extreme  left  of  my  line  of  battle,  throwing  two  squad 
rons  of  cavalry  across  the  road,  again  attacking  the 
enemy  vigorously.  My  first  squadron  dismounted,  as 
skirmishers  were  soon  hotly  engaged  with  greatly 
superior  numbers.  The  second  squadron  was  ordered 
to  charge,  and  Major  Kelley,  commanding  the  left, 
now  center  of  my  line,  advanced  with  three  squadrons. 
The  enemy  gave  back,  wheeled  out  of  his  way,  and  the 
infantry  arose  and  poured  in  a  terrific  volley  at  short 
range  accompanied  by  a  heavy  fire  of  grape.  T  was 
now  able  to  mount,  and  drew  off  in  good  order  my 
skirmishers,  and,  finding  the  enemy  in  front  in  large 
force  with  none  to  support  me  in  reach,  I  ordered  my 
cavalry  to  fall  back,  and  was  soon  ordered  back  within 
our  entrenchments.  This  skirmish  was  from  about 
9  A.  M.  to  2  P.  M.  We  killed  during  the  day  about  one 
hundred  men  and  wounded  several  hundred  more.  The 
enemy  advanced  no  more  that  day,  but  planted  a  few 
cannon  and  opened  fire  at  long  range.  General  Floyd 
reached  the  fort  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  whole  army 
was  engaged  in  throwing  up  entrenchments  during  the 
night  on  the  hills  surrounding  Dover. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  FORT  DONELSON.      43 

"  The  enemy  opened  a  heavy  cannonade  from  bat 
teries  and  ten  gunboats  early  on  Thursday  morning. 
Soon  after  our  entrenchments  were  attacked  at  all 
points,  and  there  was  scarcely  a  cessation  of  small 
arms  and  artillery  for  six  hours.  The  musketry  ceased 
about  I  P.  M.,  and  the  cannonading  continued  until 
after  dark.  The  gunboats  drew  off  early,  supposed  to  be 
crippled,  but  returned  occasionally.  The  cavalry  was 
but  little  engaged,  acting  only  as  pickets  and  couriers. 
On  Friday  I  was  ordered  out  with  the  infantry  on 
the  left,  and  after  some  sharpshooting  between  the  cav 
alry  and  the  enemy  w«s  ordered  back  into  the  entrench 
ments.  I  was  next  called  on  for  sharpshooters  to  dis 
lodge  the  enemy  who  were  from  heights  and  trees  an 
noying  our  infantry.  This  we  accomplished  in  about 
two  hours,  returning  to  my  command  about  the  time 
the  gunboat  attack  was  made  on  the  fort.  Of  this  at 
tack  I  was  an  eye-witness,  and  have  never  seen  a  de 
scription  which  did  anything  like  justice  to  the  attack 
or  defense.  More  determination  could  not  have  been 
exhibited  by  the  attacking  party,  while  more  coolness 
and  bravery  was  never  manifested  than  was  seen  in 
our  artillerists.  Never  was  there  greater  anxiety  de 
picted  on  the  faces  of  brave  men  than  during  the  ter 
rific  roar  of  cannon,  returned  ever  and  anon  by  the  slow 
but  regular  report  of  our  one  single  lo-inch  gun. 
Never  were  men  more  jubilant  than  when  the  victory 
crowned  the  steady  bravery  of  our  little  fort ;  old  men 
wept,  shout  after  shout  went  up  as  the  gunboats  were 
driven  back.  The  army  was  in  the  best  possible  spirits, 
feeling  that  relieved  of  their  greatest  terror  they  could 
whip  any  land  force  that  could  be  brought  against 
them.  During  the  night  I  was  called  into  council  with 
the  generals  commanding,  when  it  was  determined  to 
bring  on  the  attack  the  next  morning  by  again  passing 
our  entrenchments  and  attacking  the  enemy's  right. 


44  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

"  Early  the  next  morning  (Saturday)  I  moved  out 
on  the  left  and  engaged  with  the  sharpshooters  until 
our  infantry  could  form.  General  B.  R.  Johnson,  com 
manding  the  left,  moved  to  the  front,  and  after  an  ob 
stinate  fight  the  enemy  retreated.  Finding  his  flank 
exposed  across  an  open  field  to  front  and  left,  I  led  my 
cavalry  forward,  but  found  the  ground  a  marsh,  and 
we  were  unable  to  pass  it.  The  enemy  formed  on  the 
edge  of  a  second  field  to  our  front  and  right,  but  by 
maneuvering  we  doubtless  prevented  their  attempting 
to  flank  our  infantry.  Finding  that  our  infantry  would 
cut  them  off  they  retreated  with  their  cavalry,  which  we 
could  see  in  the  distance,  but  not  participating  during 
the  day  or  night.  Our  infantry  had  now  driven  them 
about  a  mile,  they  doggedly  disputing  the  whole 
ground,  leaving  dead  and  wounded  scattered  through 
the  woods  and  fields  up  in  the  ravine.  The  enemy, 
leaving  their  third  position  for  the  first  time,  retreated 
in  haste.  Advancing  by  a  road  through  a  ravine,  I 
here  passed  our  line  of  infantry  with. my  command  in 
moving  to  the  center.  I  charged  the  enemy's  battery 
of  six  guns  which  had  kept  several  of  our  regiments  in 
check  for  several  hours,  killing  and  slaughtering  a 
great  many  of  our  men  and  horses.  I  captured  the 
battery,  killing  most  of  the  men,  then  immediately 
moved  on  the  flank  of  the  enemy  obstinately  maintain 
ing  their  position.  They  finally  gave  way,  our  infantry 
and  cavalry  both  charging  them,  at  the  same  time  com 
mitting  great  slaughter.  Moving  still  farther  to  the 
right,  I  found  a  regiment  of  our  cavalry  in  confusion, 
which  I  relieved  by  charging  the  enemy  to  their  front. 
Here  sixty-four  of  the  enemy  were  found  in  forty  yards 
square.  General  Pillow  coming  up  ordered  me  to 
charge  the  enemy  in  a  ravine.  I  charged  by  squad 
rons,  filing  the  first  company  of  each  squadron  to  the 
right  and  the  second  to  the  left,  and,  on  reaching  the 


THE  BATTLE  OF  FORT  DONELSOX.      45 

ravine,  firing  and  falling  into  the  rear  of  the  third 
squadron  until  the  squadrons  had  charged.  We  here 
completely  routed  the  enemy,  accomplishing  what 
three  different  regiments  had  failed  to  do.  Seeing 
the  enemy's  battery  to  our  right  about  to  turn  on  us, 
I  now  ordered  a  charge  of  this  battery,  from  which  we 
drove  the  enemy,  capturing  two  guns.  Following 
down  the  ravine  we  captured  the  third  gun,  which  they 
were  endeavoring  to  carry  off,  gunners  and  drivers 
retreating  up  the  hill.  In  the  charge  we  killed  about 
fifty  sharpshooters  who  were  supporting  the  guns.  I 
ordered  forward  scouts,  who,  returning,  informed  me 
that  the  enemy  with  three  guns  and  three  regiments 
of  infantry  were  moving  up  the  road  from  Fort  Henry. 
We  had  driven  the  enemy  back  without  a  reverse,  from 
the  left  of  our  entrenchments  to  the  center,  having 
opened  three  different  roads  by  which  we  might  have 
retreated  if  the  generals  had  not,  as  was  deemed  best 
in  the  council  of  the  night  before,  ordered  the  retreat 
of  the  army.  The  fight  here  ended  about  2.30  P.  M. 
without  any  change  in  our  relative  positions.  W^e 
were  employed  the  remainder  of  the  evening  in  gath 
ering  up  arms  and  getting  off  the  wounded.  I  was 
three  times  over  the  battle-field,  and  late  in  the  evening 
was  two  miles  up  the  river  on  the  road  to  the  Forge. 
There  was  none  of  the  enemy  in  sight  when  dark  came 
on. 

"  Saturday  night  our  troops  slept  flushed  with  vic 
tory,  and  confident  they  could  drive  the  enemy  back 
to  the  Tennessee  River  the  next  morning.  About  twelve 
o'clock  at  night  I  was  called  in  council  with  the  gen 
erals  who  had  under  discussion  the  surrender  of  the 
fort.  They  reported  that  the  enemy  had  received 
eleven  thousand  reenforcements  since  the  fight,  and 
presumably  had  returned  to  the  positions  occupied  the 
previous  day.  Returning  to  my  quarters  I  sent  out 


46  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

two  men,  who,  going  by  a  road  up  the  bank  of  the 
river,  returned  without  seeing  any  of  the  enemy,  and 
only  fires,  which  I  supposed  to  be  the  old  camp-fires 
fanned  by  the  high  winds  into  a  blaze,  and  so  stated 
to  the  generals  upon  my  return.  General  Buckner 
declared  he  could  not  hold  his  position;  Generals 
Floyd  and  Pillow  gave  up  the  responsibility  of  the 
command  to  him,  and  I  told  them  I  neither  could  nor 
would  surrender  my  command.  General  Pillow  then 
said  I  could  cut  my  way  out  if  I  chose  to  do  so,  and  he 
and  General  Floyd  agreed  to  come  out  with  me.  I  got 
my  command  ready  and  reported  at  headquarters.  Gen 
eral  Floyd  informed  me  that  General  Pillow  had  left, 
and  that  he  would  go  by  boat.  I  moved  about  a  mile 
out  on  the  road  we  had  gone  the  morning  before, 
crossed  a  deep  slough  from  the  river,  saddle-skirt  deep, 
and  filed  into  the  road  to  Cumberland  Iron-works.  I 
ordered  Major  Kelley  and  Adjutant  Schuyler  to  re 
main  with  one  company  at  the  point  where  we  entered 
this  road,  where  the  enemy's  cavalry  would  attack  if 
they  attempted  to  follow.  They  remained  until  day  was 
dawning.  Over  five  hundred  cavalry  had  passed,  a 
company  of  artillery  horses  had  followed,  and  a  num 
ber  of  men  from  different  regiments  passing  over  hard, 
frozen  ground.  More  than  two  hours  had  been  occu 
pied  in  passing.  Not  a  gun  had  been  fired  at  us.  Not 
an  enemy  had  been  seen  or  heard. 

"  The  enemy  could  not  have  reinvested  their  former 
positions  without  traveling  a  considerable  distance  and 
carrying  away  the  dead  and  dying,  as  there  had  been 
great  slaughter  upon  that  portion  of  the  field.  And  I 
am  clearly  of  the  opinion  that  two-thirds  of  our  army 
could  have  marched  out  without  loss,  and  that  had  we 
continued  the  fight  the  next  day  we  should  have  gained 
a  glorious  victory,  as  our  troops  were  in  fine  spirits, 
believing  we  had  whipped,  and  the  roads  through 


THE  BATTLE  OF  FORT  DONELSON.      47 

which  we  came  were  open  as  late  as  eight  o'clock  Sun 
day  morning,  as  many  of  my  men  who  came  out  after 
ward  reported.  I  made  a  slow  march  with  my  ex 
hausted  horses  to  Nashville,  where  we  arrived  on  Tues 
day  morning,  the  i8th,  and  reported  myself  to  General 
Floyd,  who  placed  me  in  command  of  the  city  on 
Thursday,  the  2Oth,  at  the  time  of  his  leaving.  I  re 
mained  in  the  city  until  Sunday  evening,  the  23d,  dur 
ing  which  time  I  was  busily  engaged  with'my  regiment 
in  restoring  order  to  the  city  and  removing  public 
property.  My  loss  in  the  battle  in  killed,  wounded,  and 
taken  prisoners  was  between  three  and  four  hundred 
men.  Among  the  number  was  Captain  May,  who  fell 
at  the  head  of  his  company  while  leading  a  charge. 
My  regiment  charged  two  batteries,  taking  nine  pieces 
of  artillery,  which,  with  nearly  four  thousand  stands  of 
arms,  I  had  taken  inside  of  our  lines."  * 

The  foregoing  is  almost  a  verbatim  copy  of  the 
report  signed  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  N.  B.  Forrest. 
It  is  reproduced  in  order  to  give  an  idea  of  the  man 
who  thus  early  showed  such  capacity  in  the  art  of  war, 
and  was  to  make  greater  reputation  upon  other  fields. 
It  is  apparent  that  he  had  a  will-power  and  executive 
ability  peculiar  to  himself.'  Such  a  man  at  the  head  of 
Northern  cavalry,  composed  always  of  stalwart,  fear 
less  men,  and  supplied  with  the  best  arms,  equipments, 
and  horses  that  money  could  buy,  would  have  cut  his 
way  through  from  the  Ohio  to  the  Gulf  and  from  the 
Potomac  to  the  Mississippi  in  less  than  a  year.  In  a 
supplemental  report  made  as  late  as  November  7, 
1862,  at  Murfreesboro,  Forrest,  then  a  brigadier-gen 
eral  of  cavalry,  made  some  explanatory  statements  as 
to  the  result  of  the  conference  of  general  officers  held 
at  Fort  Donelson  on  the  night  of  February  I5th.  He 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  vii,  p.  385. 


48  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

says :  "  On  that  day  and  the  day  before,  a  large,  fresh 
force  said  to  be  twenty  thousand  strong  had  reached 
the  landing  below  us.  At  that  time  we  were  invested  by 
a  force  estimated  at  thirty  thousand.  All  the  officers 
present  felt  the  necessity  of  cutting  our  way  out  and 
resuming  communications  with  General  Johnston.  It 
was  therefore  resolved  to  give  them  battle  next  morn 
ing.  I  understood  it  to  be  the  ultimate  intention  to  re 
tire  from  the  place  if  we  succeeded  in  opening  our  way, 
but  nothing  was  said  about  our  retreating  from  the 
field.  No  order  was  given  to  that  effect,  and  no  propo 
sition  was  offered  for  that  purpose ;  no  suggestion  was 
made  of  a  character  to  indicate  such  an  intention,  and 
no  such  determination  arrived  at. 

"  On  the  day  of  the  fight,  the  I5th,  no  artillery  was 
taken  from  our  entrenchments  except  one  piece  late 
in  the  evening;  no  rations  were  prepared  or  taken  in 
the  field ;  blankets  and  knapsacks  were  left  behind ; 
no  order  for  retreat  was  prescribed ;  no  quartermaster, 
commissary,  or  ordnance  horses  were  prepared  to  ac 
company  a  retreat,  and  if  a  retreat  had  been  attempted 
from  the  field  of  fight  it  could  not  have  been  accom 
plished.  The  commands  were  scattered  and  mixed  in 
fragments ;  very  many  of  the  men  after  the  middle  of 
the  day  had  gone  back  into  the  town,  and  were  around 
the  fires  and  up  and  down  the  river  bank.  I  had  again 
and  again  during  the  day  sent  portions  of  my  com 
mand  into  the  entrenchments,  and  had  ammunition 
brought  out  on  horseback.  The  day  itself  was  mainly 
occupied  in  the  active  operations  of  the  fight.  Soon 
after  the  field  fight  was  terminated,  fighting  was  begun 
on  our  right  in  General  Buckner's  rifle-pits,  which  was 
continued  until  sundown.  In  my  opinion  the  pursuit 
of  the  enemy  could  not  have  been  continued  longer 
without  coming  in  contact  with  a  large  fresh  force, 
which  in  the  scattered  and  exhausted  condition  of  our 


THE   BATTLE   OF   FORT    DONELSON.  49 

troops  we  could  not  have  withstood.  The  character  of 
the  country  over  which  we  would  have  had  to  retreat 
from  Donelson  to  Charlotte  was  excessively  poor  and 
broken,  and  at  that  time  covered  with  snow  and  sleet, 
and  could  not  have  furnished  a  half-day's  rations  for 
our  force." 

The  above  was  probably  intended  to  mollify  public 
and  official  criticism  as  to  some  of  the  generals  who 
agreed  to  the  surrender  in  an  hour  when  many  of  the 
troops  felt  that  victory  was  assured.  It  may  be  here 
remarked  that  Colonel  Forrest  and  Generals  -Pillow 
and  Floyd  were  regarded  in  certain  high  quarters  as 
guilty  of  little  less  than  insubordination  in  getting 
away  from  Donelson  as  they  did.  General  Pillow  had 
been  a  major-general  in  the  Mexican  War,  though  not 
a  West-Pointer,  and  fell  under  the  displeasure  of  cer 
tain  men  who  never  forgave  him  for  having  attained 
such  a  rank,  for  making  one  of  the  most  gallant  fights 
of  the  war  at  Fort  Donelson,  and  for  making  his  escape. 
Therefore,  he  was  never  afterward  given  an  important 
command  unless  temporarily — as  at  the  battle  of  Mur- 
freesboro,  where  he  commanded  a  brigade.  General 
Floyd  for  personal  and  political  reasons  fared  about  as 
badly,  and  was  soon  relegated  out  of  sight. 

There  had  to  be  scapegoats  to  go  out  into  the  wil 
derness  and  carry  the  odium  of  the  great  misfortune 
and  humiliation  of  the  fall  of  Fort  Donelson,  but  For 
rest  was  not  a  man  to  be  loaded  down  that  way.  He 
cared  nothing  for  petty  cabals,  jealousies,  and  mess- 
room  talk,  but  would  set  out  before  breakfast  and  win 
a  victory  while  others  were  drawing  maps,  or  waiting 
to  get  a  newspaper  through  the  lines  or  to  hear  from 
a  laggard  scout.  There  were  doubtless  exaggerated 
reports  among  the  Confederates  as  to  General  Grant's 
army,  still  it  outnumbered  the  effective  forces  under 
General  Floyd  by  at  least  two  to  one,  and  was  large 


50  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

enough  and  strong  enough  to  have  taken  Fort  Donel- 
son  ultimately  in  a  fair,  open  fight.  Reenforcements 
had  come  and  were  coming,  but  not  in  such  numbers 
as  General  Forrest  mentions  in  his  supplemental  report. 
It  is  not  deemed  necessary  in  writing  the  life  of  Gen 
eral  Forrest  to  go  into  a  minute  account  of  all  the  en 
gagements  in  which  he  took  part,  but  rather  to  give 
general  results  and  the  parts  he  took  as  obtained  from 
official  and  other  reliable  sources  of  information. 

Thus  it  may  be  stated,  to  give  an  idea  of  the  magni 
tude  of  the  affair  at  Fort  Donelson,  that  the  forces  en 
gaged  and  the  losses  sustained  on  each  side  at  the 
battle  or  series  of  battles  there  were  nearly  as  follows : 
Federal  force,  in  round  numbers,  twenty-seven  thou 
sand  ;  losses :  killed,  five  hundred ;  wounded,  twenty- 
one  hundred ;  total,  twenty-six  hundred.  Confederate 
force,  fourteen  thousand  eight  hundred  and  five; 
killed,  four  hundred ;  wounded  and  sent  away, 
eleven  hundred  and  thirty-four;  wounded  and  left, 
three  hundred  and  fifty;  total  losses  in  battle,  four 
teen  hundred  and  eighty-four.  The  disparity  in  losses 
is  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  the  Union  forces  were 
all  the  time  in  the  open  field,  while  the  Confederates 
chose  their  own  ground,  and  fought  part  of  the  time 
from  behind  breastworks.  The  fall  of  the  fort  and  the 
loss  of  over  ten  thousand  prisoners,  who  otherwise 
might  have  taken  part  soon  after  at  the  battle  of 
Shiloh,  was  a  terrible  disaster  to  the  Confederate  cause. 
Had  Forrest  been  at  the  head  of  the  army  instead  of 
commanding  only  a  thousand  or  two  effective  cavalry, 
he  would  have  led  the  greater  part  of  it  safely  away  in 
the  direction  of  Nashville  without  any  danger  of  imme 
diate  pursuit. 

It  seems  to  have  been  the  impression  of  Forrest 
up  to  the  night  of  the  last  councils  of  war  that  a  fight 
would  be  made,  and  that,  if  not  successful,  the  whole 


THE   BATTLE   OF   FORT   DONELSON.  5 1 

force  would  be  withdrawn.  He  had  promised  the 
parents  of  many  young  men  to  protect  them,  and  was 
determined  to  do  so.  He  declared  in  the  council  that 
he  would  rather  their  bones  should  bleach  on  the  hill 
sides  than  have  them  go  to  the  open  prison  pens  of 
the  North  in  midwinter;  hence  his  determination  to 
carry  them  away.  All  of  his  men  who  reported  es 
caped.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Gantt  failed,  but  said  after 
ward  that  he  was  mistaken  as  to  the  place  of  rendez 
vous.  Captain  Overton's  Kentucky  cavalry  went  out, 
but  by  some  means  he  was  left  and  captured.  General 
Floyd,  chief  in  command,  in  abdicating  obtained  per 
mission  to  move  out  his  attenuated  regiments,  and  did 
so.  A  good  many  men  got  out  independently  that  night, 
and  the  next  morning  and  afternoon.  General  Thomas 
Jordan,  a  gentleman  of  superior  military  education,  a 
student  of  history  and  competent  military  critic,  esti 
mated  in  the  Campaigns  of  Forrest  that  not  more  than 
ninety-five  hundred  officers  and  men  were  actually  sur 
rendered  as  prisoners  of  war,  the  rest  having  fallen  or 
escaped. 

On  Tuesday,  the  i8th,  Forrest  reached  Nashville 
about  midday,  established  camps  near  the  penitentiary, 
and  reported  in  person  to  General  A.  S.  Johnston,  who 
was  in  the  act  of  leaving  for  Murfreesboro  and  who 
directed  him  to  report  to  General  Floyd,  who  was  left 
to  ship  stores  and  other  public  property  south.  The 
men  were  too  tired  to  enter  at  once  upon  the  guard 
and  patrol  duty  assigned  them,  but  most  of  them  had 
their  horses  shod  that  afternoon  and  next  day.  For 
rest  did  not  report  with  his  command  at  General 
Floyd's  headquarters  until  the  morning  of  Thursday, 
the  2Oth,  and  then  found  him  preparing  to  leave  for 
Murfreesboro,  thirty  miles  southeast,  on  the  Nashville 
and  Chattanooga  Railroad.  The  general  directed  the 
lieutenant-colonel  to  send  on  his  command  south,  but 


52  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

to  remain  a  day  with  a  small  detachment  to  look  after 
the  shipment  of  supplies.  Major  Kelley  went  on  in 
command  of  the  battalion.  Forrest  with  forty  men  re 
mained  until  Sunday  morning-,  the  23d,  when  the  head 
of  Buell's  column  appeared  at  Edgefield  on  the  oppo 
site  side  of  the  Cumberland  River. 

The  mayor  and  other  citizens  entered  into  arrange 
ments  for  the  surrender  of  the  city  to  General  Buell, 
which  occurred  on  the  25th  of  February,  and  requested 
Forrest  to  retire.  Having  forwarded  vast  stores  by 
both  rail  and  wagons,  as  well  as  destroyed  some  five 
hundred  barrels  and  tierces  of  wines  and  liquors,  and 
much  other  property  belonging  to  the  Confederate 
Government,  he  rode  off,  covering  the  retreat  of  the 
trains  of  troops  and  refugees  in  the  direction  of  Mur- 
freesboro,  and  reported  that  night  in  person  to  General 
Johnston. 

There  was  a  disposition  in  the  public  mind  of  the 
South  to  hold  some  one  responsible  not  only  for  the 
fall  of  Fort  Donelson,  but  for  the  evacuation  of  Nash 
ville  and  loss  of  stores  which  soon  followed.  The 
press  was  furious ;  the  serious  business  of  war  \vas 
on ;  a  special  committee  was  appointed  by  the  Confed 
erate  congress  to  ascertain  who  was  to  blame.  Colonel 
Forrest  was  interrogated,  and  in  reply  stated  as  to 
Nashville :  "  I  was  not  in  the  city  at  the  time  of  its 
surrender,  having  left  Fort  Donelson  on  the  morning  of 
its  surrender,  and  reached  Nashville  on  Tuesday,  Feb 
ruary  i8th,  at  about  10  A.  M.  I  remained  in  the  city 
up  to  Sunday  evening — the  23d— following,  but  was 
there  when  the  enemy  came  into  Edgefield."  Here  fol 
lows  a  statement  as  to  stores,  a  portion  of  which  had 
been  removed  before  the  surrender.  It  seems  that  the 
citizens  helped  themselves  with  reckless  freedom,  and 
that  a  state  of  chaos,  wild  confusion,  and  anarchy  pre 
vailed.  On  the  day  after  his  arrival  he  attempted  to 


THE  BATTLE  OF  FORT  DONELSON.      53 

drive  the  mob  of  struggling  soldiers  and  citizens  of  all 
classes  from  the  doors  of  the  departments.  When 
every  other  means  failed  he  charged  the  mob,  got  sev 
eral  wagons  and  had  them  loaded  with  stores  for 
transportation.  Large  quantities  were  sent  out  by  the 
two  railroads  leading  south  and  by  wagons,  the  latter 
going  to  Murfreesboro.  Late  in  the  week  a  bridge  on 
the  Nashville  and  Chattanooga  Railroad  gave  way. 
The  president  of  that  road  had  previously  (Sunday, 
the  i6th)  gone  off  on  a  special  train,  taking  personal 
baggage,  furniture,  carriage,  horses,  etc. 

In  reply  to  an  interrogation  Colonel  Forrest  said : 
"  It  was  eight  days  from  the  time  the  quartermaster, 
commissaries,  and  others  connected  with  these  depart 
ments  left  the  city  before  the  enemy  appeared.  With 
proper  diligence  on  their  part  I  have  no  doubt  all  the 
public  stores  might  have  been  removed  to  places  of 
safety.  I  did  not  meet  or  hear  of  Major  Vernon  K. 
Stevenson  "  (president  of  the  Nashville  and  Chatta 
nooga  Railroad).  "  The  city  was  in  a  much  worse  con 
dition  than  I  can  convey  an  idea  of  on  paper,  and  the 
loss  of  public  stores  must  be  estimated  by  millions  of 
dollars.  The  panic  was  utterly  useless,  and  not  at  all 
justified  by  the  circumstances."  Forrest  said  further 
that  in  his  judgment  if  the  quartermaster  and  commis 
sary  had  remained  at  their  post  and  worked  diligently 
with  the  means  at  their  command,  the  Government 
stores  might  all  have  been  saved  between  the  time  of 
the  fall  of  Fort  Donelson  and  the  arrival  of  the  enemy 
at  Nashville. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

BATTLE    OF    SHILOH. CAPTURE    OF    MURFREESBORO. 

GENERAL  ALBERT  SIDNEY  JOHNSTON,  recognizing 
the  services  and  hardships  of  Colonel  Forrest  and  his 
men,  ordered  him  to  march  his  battalion  to  Huntsville, 
Ala.,  and  there  give  his  soldiers  a  furlough  until  the 
loth  of  March.  This  place  was  reached  on  Tuesday, 
February  25th,  and  the  order  was  carried  out.  The 
men  returned  promptly  at  the  time  set,  bringing  new 
equipments,  fresh  horses,  and  recruits.  At  the  same 
time  Captain  Jesse  A.  Forrest,  the  colonel's  brother, 
reported  with  a  new  company.  The  command  was 
ordered  to  Burnsville,  Miss.,  on  the  Memphis  and 
Charleston  Railroad,  fifteen  miles  east  of  Corinth,  and 
reached  there  on  the  i6th  of  March.  Another  com 
pany  was  added  from  Hardeman  and  Fayette  counties 
under  Captain  C.  A.  Schuyler,  the  former  adjutant, 
which  made  a  full  regiment,  notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  Captain  Gould's  company  had  been  by  some  mis 
chance  left  at  Fort  Donelson.  A  reorganization  was 
effected  whereby  Lieutenant-Colonel  N.  B.  Forrest  be 
came  full  colonel,  Major  D.  C.  Kelley  lieutenant-colo 
nel,  Private  Robert  L.  Balch  was  elected  as  major, 
and  J.  P.  Strange,  former  sergeant-major,  was  ap 
pointed  adjutant.  The  regiment  remained  quietly  in 
camp  for  several  days,  but  a  scout  of  twenty  men  from 
McDonald's  company  was  sent  out,  and  soon  reported 
that  Buell  was  marching  in  force  to  effect  a  junction 
with  Grant's  army,  which  had  come  up  the  Tennessee 
54 


BATTLE   OF    SHILOH.  55 

River.  Forrest  promptly  reported  this  fact  to  General 
Johnston,  who  decided  to  strike  a  blow  before  the  two 
armies  could  be  united,  and  thus  the  movements  were 
set  in  motion  which  culminated  in  the  bloody  battle  of 
Shiloh.  General  Grant,  with  three  divisions,  including 
much  of  the  force  engaged  at  Fort  Donelson,  had  estab 
lished  a  strong  line  in  front  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  and 
was  followed  by  three  others,  commanded  by  Generals 
Sherman,  Hurlbut,  and  Prentiss.  General  Buell's 
corps,  five  divisions  strong,  one  of  which  diverged  to 
Huntsville,  was  known  to  be  marching  through  the 
country  from  Nashville. 

Forrest's  regiment,  attached  temporarily  to  Breck- 
enridge's  division,  moved  on  the  2d  of  April,  and 
marched  to  Monterey,  and  thence  was  ordered  down 
the  south  side  of  Lick  Creek.  On  Friday  night,  April 
4th,  the  regiment  was  sent  forward  on  picket  duty ;  on 
Saturday,  the  5th,  skirmished  sharply  with  the  Federal 
outposts,  and  Colonel  Forrest  rode  to  General  John 
ston's  headquarters  to  ask  for  instructions  as  to  his 
position  and  duties.  That  night  he  slept  with  his  troops 
on  the  ground,  so  close  to  the  Federal  lines  that  the 
bands  could  be  distinctly  heard.  General  Johnston  had 
planned  a  surprise,  and  although  some  of  the  com 
mands  moved  with  painful  slowness  from  Corinth, 
twenty-three  miles  from  Pittsburg  Landing,  he  had  his 
lines  in  good  position  on  Saturday  evening,  the  5th  of 
April.  Heavy  firing  began  on  the  Confederate  left 
early  on  the  morning  of  the  6th.  To  many  of  the  Fed 
erals  this  was  a  surprise,  and  they  were  steadily  pushed 
back  on  the  Tennessee  River,  some  three  miles  distant, 
when  the  firing  became  general,  and  Forrest,  not  receiv 
ing  any  orders,  threw  his  regiment  back  and  across 
Lick  Creek,  and  took  a  position  on  the  right  flank  of 
the  Confederate  line. 

Up  to  eleven  o'clock  he  received  no  orders,  and 
5 


56  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

resolved  to  go  to  the  front  and  center,  where  the 
firing  seemed  heaviest.  Here  he  found  Cheatham's 
division  had  been  repulsed,  and  proposed  to  join  him 
in  a  charge  across  the  field.  Owing  to  the  condition 
of  his  men  the  general  declined ;  but  Forrest  took  the 
responsibility  alone,  and  advanced  across  a  field  under 
heavy  fire,  sustaining  a  loss  of  several  men  and  horses. 
Continuing  the  charge,  he  pressed  on  through  and  over 
a  part  of  a  battery.  The  guns  were  taken  possession 
of  by  the  infantry  which  came  up.  Forrest  fell  back, 
and  was  soon  ordered  to  that  part  of  the  field  where 
Prentiss's  Federal  division  was  hard  pressed,  and, 
dashing  through  the  infantry,  was  soon  between  this 
unfortunate  but  gallant  division  and  the  reserves  near 
the  river.  The  surrender  of  about  two  thousand  men 
soon  took  place.  Forrest  kept  on  the  right  flank  of 
the  infantry,  and  pushed  up  toward  the  river  until 
checked  by  a  battery  or  series  of  batteries,  fifty-two 
guns  in  all,  which  had  made  a  last  stand  near  Pittsburg 
Landing.  Throwing  out  dismounted  men  as  skirmish 
ers,  he  sent  word  to  General  Polk  that  he  believed  if 
the  infantry  would  press  forward  the  Federals  could 
be  driven  into  the  river.  Some  disjointed  and  desper 
ate  efTorts  were  made  by  parts  of  Confederate  com 
mands  to  dislodge  this  formidable  line  of  guns,  but 
fresh  troops  from  General  Buell's  advance  began  to 
arrive,  the  gunboats  opened  a  heavy  fire  on  the  woods, 
and  the  struggle  was  reluctantly  abandoned  by  those 
at  the  front. 

About  four  or  five  o'clock  Colonel  Forrest  was  or 
dered  to  fall  back  with  Chalmers's  brigade  and  go  into 
camp  on  the  field.  The  calamity  of  the  day  to  the 
Southern  side  was  the  death  of  General  Albert  Sidney 
Johnston,  which  occurred  in  the  afternoon  while  he 
was  leading  a  brigade  at  the  right  of  the  center  and 
front.  A  rifle-ball  struck  him  in  the  leg  and  after 


HATTLKP1KL1)  OF 

SHILOH,TENN, 

April  fi  &  7,  1SG2 

SCALE  OF  MILES 
0123 


UNION:  POSITION    ON  MORNING  OF6TH 

UNION:  POSITION  ON  MORNING  OF  7TH 
UNION:  POSITION  ON  NIGHT  OF  7TH 
CONFEDERATE:  POSITION  ON  MORNING  OF  6Tt 
CONFEDERATE:  POSITION    ON   NIGHT   OF  6TH 
EXTREME  POINT  OF  CONFEDERATE   ADVANCE 

AAAAA/V  CAVALRY 

AAAA  A  TENTS 


BATTLE    OF   SHILOH.  57 

bleeding  unconsciously  for  a  short  time  he  fell  from 
his  horse  in  a  fainting  condition,  and  shortly  after 
expired  in  the  arms  of  Governor  Isham  G.  Harris,  of 
Tennessee,  and  in  the  presence  of  a  few  friends  who 
collected  around  him.  The  news  was  not  generally 
known  to  the  army  that  evening. 

General  G.  T.  Beauregard,  second  in  command, 
was  on  his  horse  surrounded  by  his  staff  and  escort, 
some  little  distance  in  the  rear  and  on  the  left.  Late 
in  the  afternoon  he  decided  to  call  off  the  troops  to  give 
them  a  rest.  The  encampments  of  full  five  Federal 
divisions,  well  stocked  with  all  the  comforts  and  lux 
uries  possible  at  that  period  of  the  war,  were  occupied 
by  the  Confederates,  many  of  whom  availed  themselves 
of  the  spoils  to  an  extent  which  did  not  add  to  their 
efficiency  the  next  day.  Colonel  Forrest  and  his  men 
slept  comparatively  little  that  night.  Throwing  out  a 
line  of  scouts,  mostly  clad  in  Federal  blue  overcoats 
captured  that  day,  he  advanced  to  the  front  and 
went  down  to  the  river  bank,  where  he  could  see  and 
hear  the  movements  of  boats  bringing  up  reenforce- 
ments. 

Seeking  General  James  R.  Chalmers  far  in  the 
night,  he  declared  that  something  must  be  done  quickly 
or  the  army  would  be  whipped  before  noon  the  next 
day.  Getting  no  satisfaction  from  this  source,  he 
sought  General  Beauregard,  and  after  explaining  his 
views  was  ordered  back  to  his  regiment.  Early  Mon 
day  morning  the  Federals,  greatly  reenforced,  made  a 
forward  movement.  Forrest  was  again  placed  on  the 
right  flank,  and  was  actively  engaged.  The  Confeder 
ates  had  no  reenforcements,  were  worn  out,  badly 
armed  and  scattered,  and  greatly  weakened.  All  the 
ground  gained  the  previous  day  was  lost  by  two  o'clock. 

Forrest  was  engaged  with  skirmishers  as  early  as 
five  o'clock  Monday  morning,  and  compelled  to  fall 


58  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

back  upon  the  infantry,  and  at  seven  o'clock  General 
Hardee  ordered  him  to  retire  for  the  time  being.  The 
battle  raged  all  along  the  lines  for  several  hours  with 
varying  results.  There  were  charges  and  counter 
charges.  It  was  a  bloody  field,  as  sanguinary  in  pro 
portion  to  numbers  as  Gettysburg,  on  which  deeds  of 
valor  by  officers  and  men  illustrated  the  courage  and 
endurance  of  the  American  soldier.  The  cavalry  could 
not  be  used  effectively  owing  to  heavy  timber  and  un 
dergrowth  through  which  the  troops  had  to  move. 
Colonel  Forrest  for  a  time  looked  after  stragglers  and 
forced  them  back  to  the  front.  About  eleven  o'clock 
General  Breckenridge  placed  him  on  the  right  flank, 
where  he  was  in  a  heavy  engagement  for  two  hours. 
After  that  General  Beauregard  ordered  him  to  move 
his  regiment  near  the  center,  where  it  was  dismounted 
and  employed  in  skirmishing  with  the  Federals  as  the 
Confederate  infantry  began  to  retreat.  Breckenridge 
covered  the  retreat  and  went  into  bivouac  that  night 
about  four  and  a  half  miles  from  Pittsburg  Landing, 
while  Forrest  was  sent  to  guard  against  or  report  ag 
gressive  movements  on  Lick  Creek.  The  nature  of 
the  country  did  not  permit  rapid  retreat  or  pursuit. 
The  losses  of  the  Confederates  in  the  two  days'  fight 
were  stated  as  seventeen  hundred  and  twenty-eight 
killed,  eight  thousand  and  twelve  wounded,  and  nine 
hundred  and  fifty-nine  missing ;  total,  ten  thousand 
six  hundred  and  ninety-nine.  The  Federal  losses  were 
seventeen  hundred  and  fifty-four  killed,  eighty-four 
hundred  and  eight  wounded,  twenty-eight  hundred  and 
eighty-five  missing ;  total,  thirteen  thousand  and  forty- 
seven. 

Tuesday  morning,  the  8th,  General  Breckenridge 
fell  back  a  few  miles  to  a  tenable  position,  leaving  the 
cavalry  thrown  well  to  the  front  facing  the  Federal 
lines.  That  morning  Colonel  Forrest,  with  only  about 


BATTLE   OF   SHILOH.  59 

one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  found  himself  facing  on 
the  road  to  Monterey,  a  heavy  Federal  force  advan 
cing  in  three  lines.  He  was  soon  reenforced  by  a  com 
pany  of  Wirt  Adams's  regiment  under  Captain  Isaac 
Harrison,  a  squadron  of  the  Eighth  Texas,  two  hun 
dred  and  twenty  strong,  and  a  detachment  of  Ken- 
tuckians  under  Captain  John  Morgan,  making  a  total 
force  of  about  eight  hundred  cavalry.  Forming  these 
in  line,  Forrest  made  a  stand  to  await  the  remainder  of 
his  regiment  and  other  reenforcements.  Two  battalions 
of  cavalry  and  a  regiment  of  infantry  quickly  advanced 
to  attack  this  thin  line.  The  infantry  regiment,  with 
fixed  bayonets,  moved  forward  in  fine  style,  but  in 
crossing  a  stream  there  was  some  break  in  the  move 
ment,  and  Forrest,  seeing  an  opportunity,  ordered  a 
countercharge.  The  Confederates,  who  had  been 
partly  concealed  behind  a  slight  ridge,  dashed  forward, 
and  at  a  distance  of  twenty  paces  fired  an  effective 
volley  from  their  double-barreled  shotguns.  The  Fed 
eral  cavalry,  taken  by  surprise,  broke  and  ran  over 
their  infantry  support,  causing  great  commotion  and 
some  loss  of  men  and  horses.  Forrest's  men  dashed 
into  the  mass  of  struggling  and  confused  Federals  and 
used  their  revolvers  and  sabers  with  some  effect,  kill 
ing  about  fifteen  men,  wounding  twenty-five,  and  tak 
ing  seventy  prisoners. 

The  pursuit  was  continued  only  a  few  hundred 
yards.  Forrest  himself  dashed  ahead  of  the  routed 
force,  and  came  within  fifty  yards  of  the  main  line. 
His  own  men  halted,  and  he  was  left  almost  alone. 
Turning  around  he  was  assailed  on  all  sides  by  the 
Federals,  who  shouted,  "  Kill  him !  Knock  him  off ! 
Shoot  him !  Stick  him !  "  and  other  cheering  saluta 
tions.  Drawing  a  revolver,  he  fired  right  and  left,  and 
spurred  his  horse  to  run  the  terrible  gantlet.  In  a 
moment  he  was  out  of  immediate  danger,  but  was 


60  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

severely  wounded  by  a  pistol-ball,  which,  entering  near 
the  spine,  ranged  around  on  the  left  side  and  lodged  in 
his  hip.  In  this  desperate  strait  he  reached  down, 
caught  up  a  rather  small  Federal  soldier,  swung  him 
around  and  held  him  to  the  rear  of  his  saddle  as  a 
shield  until  he  was  well  out  of  danger,  and  then  gladly 
dropped  his  prisoner,  who  doubtless  saved  his  life. 
His  horse  was  mortally  wounded,  but  escaped  with  his 
rider  through  a  shower  of  bullets.  Rejoining  his  com 
mand  behind  the  ridge,  Colonel  Forrest  went  to  the 
nearest  hospital  for  surgical  treatment.  The  surgeon 
could  not  find  the  ball,  and  expressed  a  fear  that  the 
wound  was  fatal.  The  colonel  set  out  for  Corinth, 
accompanied  by  his  adjutant,  J.  P.  Strange,  and 
reached  that  place  late  at  night.  On  the  way  he  suf 
fered  so  that  he  had  to  dismount  and  ride  in  a  buggy. 
The  noble  horse  lived  to  reach  Corinth,  but  died  a  few 
hours  later. 

The  force  which  Forrest  encountered  that  morning 
proved  to  have  been  led  by  General  W.  T.  Sherman 
in  person.  In  his  report  to  General  Grant,  dated  Head 
quarters  Fifth  Division,  Tuesday,  April  8,  1862,  he 
said :  "  With  the  cavalry  placed  at  my  command  and 
two  brigades  of  my  fatigued  troops  I  went  this  morn 
ing  out  on  the  Corinth  road  .  .  .  and  at  the  fork  of 
the  road  found  the  enemy  in  both  roads.  .  .  .  After 
reconnoitering  up  the  right  road  I  ordered  two  ad 
vance  companies  of  the  Ohio  Seventy-seventh,  Colo 
nel  Hildebrand,  to  deploy  forward  as  skirmishers,  and 
the  regiment  itself  formed  into  lines  with  an  interval 
of  one  hundred  yards.  In  this  order  we  advanced 
cautiously  until  the  skirmishers  were  engaged.  Tak 
ing  it  for  granted  this  disposition  would  clear  the  camp 
(in  view),  I  held  Colonel  Dickey's  Fourth  Illinois 
Cavalry  ready  for  the  charge.  The  enemy's  cavalry 
came  down  boldly  at  a  charge,  led  by  General  Forrest 


BATTLE   OF   SHILOH  6l 

in  person,*  breaking  through  our  line  of  skirmishers, 
when  the  regiment  of  infantry,  without  cause,  broke, 
threw  away  their  muskets,  and  fled.  The  ground  was 
admirably  adapted  for  the  defense  of  infantry  against 
cavalry,  being  miry  and  crowned  with  fallen  timber. 
As  the  regiment  of  infantry  broke,  Dickey's  cavalry 
began  to  discharge  their  carbines  and  fell  into  disorder. 
I  instantly  sent  orders  to  the  rear  for  the  brigade  to 
form  in  line  of  battle.  The  broken  infantry  and  cav 
alry  rallied  on  this  line,  and  as  the  enemy's  cavalry 
came  to  it  our  cavalry  in  turn  charged  and  drove 
them  from  the  field.  I  advanced  the  entire  brigade 
over  this  same  ground,  and  sent  Colonel  Dickey's 
cavalry  a  mile  farther  on  the  road.  ...  I  am  satisfied 
the  enemy's  infantry  and  artillery  passed  Lick  Creek 
this  morning,  traveling  all  of  last  night,  and  then  he 
left  to  his  rear  all  the  cavalry,  which  has  protected  his 
retreat.  But  signs  of  disorder  and  confusion  mark 
the  whole  road.  The  check  sustained  by  us  at  the 
fallen  timber  delayed  our  advance  so  that  night  came 
upon  us  before  the  wounded  were  provided  for  and 
the  dead  buried ;  and  our  troops  being  fagged  out  by 
three  days'  hard  fighting,  exposure,  and  privation,  I 
ordered  them  back  to  their  camps,  where  they  now 
are."  f 

In  line  with  the  foregoing  extract  from  General 
Sherman's  report,  and  corroborative  of  other  state 
ments  here  made,  the  following  is  taken  from  the  re 
port  of  Major  Thomas  Harrison,  who  commanded  the 
Texans,  to  Colonel  J.  A.  Wharton.  This  is  dated 
Camp  near  Corinth,  April  n,  1862.  "Being  left  by 
you  in  command  of  the  Texas  Rangers,  two  hundred 

*  Colonel    Forrest   was   not   yet   known   as  general   on    the 
Southern  side. 

f  Sherman's  Memoirs,  vol.  i,  p.  243. 


62  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

and  twenty  strong,  Tuesday  morning  last,  I  remained 
in  the  rear  of  our  retreating  enemy  until  evening,  when 
information  was  brought  me  by  a  member  of  Colonel 
Forrest's  cavalry  that  a  small  body  of  the  enemy's 
cavalry  had  appeared  on  our  right  flank.  I  proceeded 
with  my  command  and  a  company  (forty  men)  of  For 
rest's  cavalry  to  the  point  occupied  by  the  enemy  ap 
parently  in  force.  .  .  .  Deeming  it  unadvisable  to  at 
tack  so  strong  a  force  in  advantageous  position,  I  re 
tired  to  avoid  a  flank  movement.  .  .  .  Met  Captain  I. 
F.  Harrison,  of  Colonel  Wirt  Adams's  cavalry,  with 
about  forty  men  of  that  regiment.  .  .  .  Being  joined 
by  him  I  returned  to  my  position  near  the  hospital, 
where  I  found  Colonel  Forrest  commanding  in  person 
the  company  of  his  cavalry  mentioned  above.  On 
consultation  with  him  it  was  determined  to  charge  the 
enemy  then  formed  for  battle  to  our  front.  The  charge 
was  immediately  executed.  The  front  line  of  the 
enemy's  infantry  with  cavalry  in  its  rear  was  put  to 
flight ;  a  portion  of  the  latter  only  after  a  hard  hand- 
to-hand  fight  with  the  Rangers  had  attested  their 
superior  skill  in  the  use  and  management  of  pistol 
and  horse.  My  command  not  having  sabers  and  our 
shots  being  exhausted,  I  ordered  a  retreat  in  front 
of  a  strong  line  of  infantry.  Shortly  afterward  I 
was  ordered  by  General  Breckenridge  to  the  rear  of 
his  infantry  and  artillery.  I  suppose  forty  or  fifty 
of  the  enemy  were  killed  on  the  ground,  and  doubtless 
many  more  were  wounded.  We  captured  forty-three 
prisoners.  My  loss  was  two  killed,  seven  wounded, 
and  one  missing.  .  .  .  Colonel  Forrest  was,  I  learn, 
slightly  wounded.  .  .  .  The  Rangers  sustained  the  an 
cient  name  they  bear." 

As  a  result  of  this  sharp  engagement  the  Fed 
eral  advance  was  checked,  and  was  not  resumed  on 
Corinth  for  many  days.  Colonel  Forrest  was  granted 


BATTLE   OF   SHILOH.  63 

a  leave  of  absence  for  sixty  days,  and  returned  to  his 
home  in  Memphis,  where  he  seemed  to  recover  rapidly. 
Learning,  however,  that  there  were  dissensions  and 
mutterings  in  his  regiment  on  account  of  an  insufficient 
commissariat,  as  well  as  for  other  reasons  and  con 
ditions  common  to  volunteer  regiments,  he  left  Mem 
phis  on  the  2Qth  day  of  April,  and  returned  to  his 
command  at  Corinth.  A  few  days  later,  in  making  a 
reconnaissance  in  front  of  Corinth,  he  jumped  his 
horse  over  a  log,  and  the  jolt  caused  the  bullet  to  move 
in  his  hip  and  gave  him  intense  pain.  Returning  to 
camp  he  demanded  that  his  surgeon,  Dr.  J.  B.  Cowan, 
at  once  extract  the  ball.  This  required  two  attempts, 
and  prostrated  the  colonel  to  his  bed  for  two  weeks. 
Recovering  from  this  ordeal,  his  vigorous  constitution 
asserted  itself,  and  Forrest  was  soon  called  to  a  wider 
field  of  action. 

At  the  earnest  request  of  Colonel  James  E.  Saun- 
ders,  a  prominent  citizen  of  north  Alabama,  over  sixty 
years  old,  who  had  taken  an  active  part  as  a  volunteer 
staff-officer,  General  Beauregard  reluctantly  consented 
to  give  up  Colonel  Forrest  and  place  him  in  command 
of  cavalry  operations  in  the  rear  of  Chattanooga. 
Papers  were  made  out,  and  Forrest  was  recommended 
for  promotion  to  rank  as  brigadier-general.  His  regi 
ment  had  been  reduced  by  death,  disease,  and  wounds 
from  about  six.  hundred  effectives  to  less  than  half 
that  number.  It  gave  him  great  concern  to  think  of 
leaving  the  men  who  had  followed  him  so  faithfully, 
but  he  was  permitted  to  select  a  few  officers  and  about 
twenty  men  to  accompany  him  as  escort.  These  men 
were  placed  under  command  of  his  brother,  Captain 
William  Forrest.  Leaving  north  Mississippi  with  the 
valiant  old  Colonel  Saunders  and  this  escort  on  the  nth 
of  June,  1862,  the  party  set  out  through  the  country, 
and  reached  Chattanooga  on  the  igth  of  that  month. 


64  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

Colonel  Forrest  was  rejoiced  to  find  at  Chattanooga 
the  Eighth  Texas  Cavalry,  better  known  as  Texas 
Rangers,  then  commanded  by  Colonel,  afterward 
Major-General,  John  A.  Wharton.  These  splendid 
riders,  some  four  hundred  strong,  from  the  Lone  Star 
State,  were  to  his  mind  ideal  soldiers.  In  addition  to 
these  the  command  soon  organized  consisted  of  the 
First  Louisiana  Cavalry,  Colonel  John  W.  Scott,  soon 
afterward  detached  and  replaced  by  the  First  Georgia 
battalion  under  Colonel  J.  J.  Morrison ;  the  Second 
Georgia  regiment  cavalry,  Colonel  W.  J.  Lawton ;  one 
hundred  Kentuckians  under  Colonel  Woodward,  and 
the  escort.  The  brigade  was  crossed  over  the  Tennes 
see  River  the  8th  of  July,  and  on  the  9th  was  marched 
rapidly  by  two  different  routes  to  McMinnville,  reach 
ing  there  on  the  nth.  Here  two  companies  of  Spil- 
lers's  battalion  under  Major  Smith,  and  two  inde 
pendent  companies  under  Captains  Taylor  and  Wal- 
tham  joined  the  force,  bringing  it  up  to  about  sixteen 
hundred  effective  men.  Late  on  the  afternoon  of  the 
1 2th  the  expedition  moved  in  the  direction  of  Wood- 
bury,  reaching  there  about  eleven  o'clock  at  night. 
Here  it  was  learned  that  the  Federals  had  entered  the 
village  the  clay  before  and  arrested  and  carried  off  to 
Murfreesboro  every  man,  old  and  young,  in  the  place. 
The  women  and  children  were  in  great  distress,  but 
Forrest  assured  them  that  their  kinsmen  should  soon 
be  restored,  a  promise  which  he  made  good. 

It  was  eighteen  miles  to  Murfreesboro ;  at  one 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  I3th  the  command  was 
on  the  road  with  orders  to  keep  well  closed  up.  This 
was  the  colonel's  birthday,  and  his  birthplace  was  in 
an  adjoining  county.  The  head  of  the  column  halted 
a  few  miles  out  from  Murfreesboro  at  5  A.  M.,  and 
scouts  sent  forward  soon  returned  reporting  that  the 
Federal  pickets  were  only  half  a  mile  distant.  These, 


BATTLE   OF   SHILOH.  65 

fifteen  in  number,  were  captured  by  a  detachment  from 
Wharton's  regiment  without  firing  a  gun,  and  brought 
before  Forrest,  and  from  them  he  learned  that  Colonel 
Duffield  had  been  superseded  the  day  before  by  Briga 
dier-General  Thomas  J.  Crittenden,  of  Indiana,  and 
learned  also  the  location  of  the  different  commands  in 
and  around  the  town.  These  consisted  of  the  Ninth 
Michigan  Infantry,  two  companies  of  the  Seventh 
Pennsylvania  Cavalry,  camped  near  each  other  in  town ; 
the  Third  Minnesota,  and  Hewett's  battery  of  four 
guns  a  mile  and  a  half  beyond ;  while  the  jail,  in  which 
a  number  of  Confederates  and  civilians  were  confined, 
was  guarded  by  two  companies  of  the  Ninth  Michigan 
and  some  small  detachments. 

Forrest  quickly  divided  his  force  into  three  sections, 
formed  in  columns  of  fours,  and  advanced  quietly  on 
the  sleeping  town.  Coming  in  sight  of  the  tents,  the 
order  to  charge  was  given,  and  the  whole  command 
thundered  down  the  pike  yelling  like  mad.  Wharton, 
at  the  head  of  the  Texans,  was  soon  among  the  sur 
prised  Pennsylvanians.  Some  of  them  were  killed, 
others  taken  prisoners,  and  others  rushed  over  to 
the  Michigan  camp,  where  Colonel  W.  W.  Duffield 
rallied  his  men  and  made  a  gallant  resistance,  and 
forced  the  Texans  back  some  distance.  Colonel  Duf 
field  was  wounded,  and  the  command  fell  upon  Lieu 
tenant-Colonel  Parkhurst.  Colonel  Wharton,  of  the 
Rangers,  was  seriously  wounded,  and  his  command 
thrown  into  confusion.  Parkhurst  drew  up  his  men 
within  a  stockade,  added  wagons  and  other  impedi 
menta  to  his  front,  and  made  it  warm  for  the  Texans. 
The  latter,  under  command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Walker,  kept  up  a  brisk  fire,  and  waited  for  reenforce- 
ments,  which  came  in  due  time.  Forrest  had  charged 
straight  to  the  jail,  court-house,  and  hotel,  and  captured 
General  Crittenden,  his  staff,  and  the  provost  guards, 


66  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

but  the  Federals  opened  a  heavy  fire  from  the  court 
house,  and  this  stronghold  was  taken  by  storm. 

The  jail  was  found  to  be  on  fire,  which'  was  extin 
guished  with  difficulty,  and  about  a  hundred  and  fifty 
prisoners  released,  among  them  two  who  had  been 
sentenced  to  be  executed  that  morning.  The  soldier 
who  fired  the  jail  to  make  a  holocaust  of  the  prisoners 
before  he  rushed  to  the  court-house  was  identified, 
and  it  is  said  did  not  answer  to  roll-call  when  the  pris 
oners  were  afterward  brought  before  Colonel  Forrest. 
Meantime  a  detachment  of  troops  was  sent  to  reen- 
force  the  Texans,  and  Forrest  with  a  considerable  force 
followed  the  Tennesseeans  and  Georgians  who  had  gone 
to  attack  the  camp  beyond  town,  commanded  by  Colo 
nel  Lester,  and  met  vigorous  aggressive  resistance. 
The  Federals  had  moved  out  for  the  purpose  of  join 
ing  the  main  force  in  town,  leaving  a  reserve  of  about 
one  hundred  men  in  camp.  Forrest  made  a  flank 
movement  and  captured  most  of  these  men  after  a 
sharp  conflict.  One  Federal  fired  at  Forrest  several 
times  from  behind  a  wagon  at  short  range.  Finally, 
the  colonel  drew  a  pistol  and  shot  him  down. 

Making  a  circuit  back  to  Murfreesboro  and  leaving 
the  Tennesseeans  and  Georgians  to  hold  Colonel  Lester 
at  bay,  he  went  to  the  aid  of  the  Texans.  Sending  a 
flag  of  truce  to  Colonels  Duffield  and  Parkhurst  he 
stated  that  he  had  captured  all  the  other  troops,  and 
demanded  an  unconditional  surrender  in  order  to  pre 
vent  the  further  effusion  of  blood,  and  added  the  threat, 
which  he  used  so  often  and  so  effectively  at  other  times 
and  places,  that  if  he  had  to  carry  the  stockade  by  storm 
he  would  not  be  responsible  for  the  consequences. 
Both  Colonels  Duffield  and  Parkhurst  had  been 
wounded,  and  in  the  eight  hours'  hard  fighting  they 
had  lost  eleven  killed  and  eighty-six  wounded.  At 
twelve  o'clock  they  surrendered  the  command.  Forrest 


BATTLE   OF    SHILOH.  67 

could  have  taken  the  place,  but  not  without  heavy  loss. 
His  ruse  and  threat  answered  a  better  purpose  than  an 
assault. 

Leaving  the  prisoners  under  guard  he  promptly 
turned  his  attention  to  Colonel  Lester's  command, 
which  had  not  surrendered,  but  was  kept  in  check  by 
the  troops  under  Colonel  Morrison,  of  Georgia.  For 
rest  moved  out  on  the  road,  sent  in  a  flag  of  truce, 
and  demanded  another  surrender,  "  to  prevent  further 
effusion  of  blood,"  and  could  truthfully  say  then  that 
all  the  rest  of  the  Federal  forces  in  Murfreesboro  had 
been  captured.  The  ruse  was  again  successful,  but  not 
until  Colonel  Lester  was  permitted  to  enter  the  town 
under  an  escort,  and  be  convinced  that  the  surrender 
had  taken  place.  He  returned  to  his  command,  and 
immediately  surrendered  about  four  hundred  and  fifty 
infantry  and  Captain  John  H.  Hewett's  Battery  B, 
Kentucky  Light  Artillery,  with  three  smooth-bore  6- 
pounders  and  one  lo-pounder  Parrott  gun. 

General  Crittenden,  the  Federal  commander,  in  his 
report  claimed  that  Forrest  had  twenty-five  hundred 
men,  which  was  an  overestimate,  and  complimented 
the  gallantry  of  his  own  men  in  high  and  deserved 
terms,  for  they  really  put  up  a  splendid  fight ;  and  but 
for  the  fact  that  Forrest  surprised  the  garrison  and 
cut  through  between  the  different  commands  and  took 
them  in  by  detail  he  would  not  have  won  such  a  sweep 
ing  victory.  In  his  superb  management  and  dash  that 
day  he  evinced  the  high  qualities  which  seldom  ever 
failed  him.  His  own  officers  were  doubtful  about  tak 
ing  this  stockade,  which  had  been  so  long  and  bravely 
defended,  but  his  will-power  and  presence  of  mind 
swayed  everything,  and  so  he  won  when  others  would 
have  abandoned  the  field.  Knowing  that  there  were 
numerous  other  Federal  garrisons  in  the  neighborhood, 
he  hastily  gathered  together  such  Government  stores 


68  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

as  could  be  carried  away,  destroyed  the  remainder, 
as  well  as  depots  and  railroad  bridges,  etc.,  and  before 
five  o'clock  was  on  the  march  to  McMinnville,  camping 
nine  miles  from  Murfreesboro  that  night. 

The  prisoners  were  brought  along,  as  well  as  the 
four  pieces  of  artillery  captured  with  horses  and  am 
munition.  Colonel  Forrest  stated  in  his  official  report 
that  he  captured  ten  or  twelve  hundred  privates  and 
non-commissioned  officers.  On  the  I4th  the  prisoners 
were  placed  in  charge  of  Colonel  Wharton,  who  was 
still  able  to  ride.  The  entire  command  reached  Mc 
Minnville  the  next  night.  The  privates  and  non-com 
missioned  officers  were  paroled  there,  and  the  commis 
sioned  officers  were  forwarded  to  Knoxville.  The  Fed 
eral  losses  at  Murfreesboro  seem  to  have  been  about 
twenty-three  killed  and  one  hundred  and  seventeen 
wounded.  Forrest  estimated  that  he  had  twenty-five 
killed  and  sixty  wounded,  which  was  probably  under 
the  real  number — at  least  Colonel  Duffield  reported 
that  he  buried  more  Confederates  than  Federals.* 

Major-General  John  P.  McCown  telegraphed  Gen 
eral  Bragg  from  Chattanooga  on  the  I7th  of  July  that 
• — "  Forrest  captured  two  brigadier-generals,  staff-  and 
field-officers,  and  twelve  hundred  men,  burned  two 
hundred  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  stores,  captured 
sufficient  stores  with  those  burned  to  amount  to  five 
hundred  thousand  dollars,  also  took  sixty  wagons, 
three  hundred  mules,  one  hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hun 
dred  horses,  a  field  battery  of  four  pieces,  destroyed  the 
railroad  and  depot  at  Murfreesboro,  and  lost  sixteen 
or  eighteen  killed  and  twenty-five  or  thirty  wounded." 
A  writer  on  the  Union  side  estimated  the  loss  to  the 
Government  at  nearly  a  million  of  dollars.  Such  a 
victory  won  by  freshly  organized  and  poorly  armed 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xv,  p.  I. 


BATTLE   OF    SHILOH.  69 

troops,  without  artillery,  created  great  surprise,  but  the 
troops  were  better  armed  when  they  came  away,  as  well 
as  better  clothed.  Among  the  wounded  on  the  Confed 
erate  side  was  the  heroic  old  Colonel  Saunders,  from 
Alabama,  who  was  shot  through  his  lungs,  supposed 
mortally,  but  who  recovered  to  see  much  more  service 
as  a  volunteer  staff-officer,  and  only  died  in  1898  in 
Memphis. 

The  Confederates  claimed  to  have  paroled  seven 
teen  hundred  prisoners  at  McMinnville,  including  one 
hundred  staff  employees.  Be  that  as  it  may,  those 
paroled  were  given  two  days'  rations,  and  when  started 
North  were  apparently  in  the  best  of  spirits.  Forrest 
sent  out  scouts  in  all  directions  and  rested  at  McMinn 
ville  until  the  i8th,  and  then  put  his  column  in  motion 
in  the  direction  of  Lebanon,  fifty  miles  distant,  where 
it  was  reported  five  hundred  Federal  cavalry  were  sta 
tioned.  Reaching  the  neighborhood  of  that  place  on 
the  morning  of  the  2Oth  he  was  disappointed  to  find 
that  the  enemy  were  on  the  road  to  Nashville  and  pur 
suit  was  impracticable.  Throwing  out  pickets  to  guard 
against  surprise,  he  rested  a  day  with  his  men,  and 
enjoyed  the  hospitality  of 'the  people,  who  were  mostly 
strong  Southern  sympathizers.  His  movements  were 
not  unnoticed.  The  name  of  Forrest  began  to  count 
for  something  among  officers  on  the  other  side,  as  the 
following  despatches  indicate : 

BOWLING  GREEN,  July  20,  1862. 
Colonel  J.  F.  MILLER,  Commanding: 

Forrest  is  at  Lebanon,  Tenn.,  with  a  large  rebel 
force.  Without  doubt  he  will  move  on  Nashville  or  Galla- 
tin,  or  probably  will  make  his  way  to  Kentucky. 

S.  D.  BRUCE,*  Colonel  Commanding. 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  vi,  part  ii,  pp.  ir,  190. 


70  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

TULLAHOMA,    July   22,    1862. 

Colonel  J.  B.  FRY:  I  have  information  this  morning 
.  .  .  that  Forrest  started  from  McMinnville  this  morning 
for  Lebanon  on  Friday  with  one  thousand  men.  He  was  to 
have  been  back  Saturday,  but  has  not  returned.  .  .  . 

W.  S.  SMITH,*  Brigadier-General  Commanding. 

The  prediction  of  Colonel  Bruce  was  well  founded, 
for  early  on  the  morning  of  the  2ist  Forrest  moved 
out  on  the  pike  for  the  Hermitage,  near  Nashville. 
Reaching  there  at  I  p.  M.,  he  halted  for  an  hour,  and 
met  a  party  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  who  were  cele 
brating  the  first  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  Manassas. 

Pushing  forward  toward  Nashville,  Forrest  learned 
from  scouts  that  General  Nelson  had  gone  toward 
Murfreesboro  with  thirty-five  hundred  men,  mostly  in 
fantry.  At  Stone  River,  seven  miles  east  of  Nashville, 
he  came  upon  and  captured  about  twenty  pickets  in  a 
stockade,  though  some  escaped  to  the  city.  Swinging 
around  to  the  Murfreesboro  pike  he  captured  some  of 
the  picket  force  near  the  lunatic  asylum,  the  rest  escap 
ing.  An  independent  Confederate  force  happened 
about  the  same  time  to  make  a  dash  on  a  picket-post 
on  the  Franklin  pike,  and  thus  the  impression  was 
made  in  the  city  that  the  place  was  invested  by  a  large 
force.  Forrest  next  moved  on  and  captured  a  small 
outpost  and  twenty  prisoners  at  the  bridge  over  Mill 
Creek,  four  miles  from  the  heart  of  the  city.  Follow 
ing  the  creek  half  a  mile  northward  he  captured  forty 
more  men,  and  left  a  company  to  destroy  that  bridge ; 
moving  a  mile  farther  up  the  creek  to  Antioch  sta 
tion  the  little  garrison  made  a  stand,  but  was  quickly 
routed  by  Colonel  Walker's  Texas  Rangers.  Thirty- 
five  prisoners  were  taken  there  with  arms  and  supplies, 
and  the  station-house,  cars,  and  a  bridge  were  burned. 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  vi,  part  ii,  p.  200. 


BATTLE    OF   SHILOH.  71 

A  detachment  was  sent  toward  Murfreesboro,  destroy 
ing  some  railroad  wood,  and  taking  fifteen  prisoners. 

After  this  day's  work  Forrest  withdrew  by  a  nar 
row  pathway  and  encamped  in  the  woods  about  a  mile 
from  the  pike,  where  his  prisoners  were  paroled.  Gen 
eral  Nelson,  apprised  of  Forrest's  movements,  marched 
back  from  Murfreesboro  in  great  haste,  and  his  col 
umns  could  be  heard  passing  on  the  pike  by  Forrest's 
men  nearly  all  night.  Nelson  being  safely  in  Nash 
ville,  Forrest  started  back  the  other  way  early  next 
morning.  He  had  not  lost  a  man  during  the  raid.  Six 
miles  from  Murfreesboro  he  turned  east  toward 
McMinnville.  Nelson  followed  again,  and  reaching 
Murfreesboro  with  a  tired,  jaded  lot  of  men,  disgusted 
with  trotting  on  foot  up  and  down  the  road  after  For 
rest's  phantom  cavalry,  gave  up  the  pursuit,  and  de 
nounced  it  as  folly  in  his  own  forceful  way.  Forrest 
had  caused  large  forces  to  be  withdrawn  from  north 
Mississippi  and  north  Alabama,  and  materially  changed 
the  situations  and  dispositions  of  Federal  troops.  He 
proceeded  hurriedly  to  McMinnville  and  rested  there 
some  time. 

The  following  despatches  indicate  something  of  the 
stir  Forrest  created  in  that  period : 

HEADQUARTERS,  HUNTSVILLE,  July  22,  1862. 
General  SMITH,  Tullahoma: 

Forrest  is  now  between  Nashville  and  Murfreesboro, 
and  destroyed  three  bridges  nine  miles  from  Nashville 
yesterday. 

D.  C.  BUELL. 

MURFREESBORO,  July  24,  1862. 
Major -General  BUELL: 

Twenty-third  Brigade  has  passed.  Forrest  has  re 
turned  on  the  Jefferson  pike.  In  three  days  I  will  take 
the  field  and  try  to  clear  out  the  country.  .  .  . 

W.  NELSON,  General. 
6 


72  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

TULLAHOMA,    July  22,    1862. 

Colonel  J.  B.  FRY:  One  of  my  scouting  parties  last 
night  captured  a  morning  report  of  a  rebel  force  en 
camped  near  McMinnville.  It  is  addressed  to  General 
Forrest,  Chapel  Hill,  which  lies  between  Shelbyville  and 
Franklin.  The  rebel  has  not  had  time  to  advise  him  of 
its  capture.  Can  not  we  capture  him  there  or  at  Shelby 
ville,  where  I  think  his  army  is  ? 

W.   S.   SMITH,  General. 

MURFREESBORO,    Jttly  26,    1862. 

Major-General  BUELL:  John  Morgan  is  retreating 
from  Kentucky  and  will  come  in  at  Sparta.  I  want  cav 
alry,  and  I  want  General  Jackson,  who  is  now  at  Nashville, 
to  command  it.  ...  I  can  settle  this  part  of  the  country 
and  stop  Morgan  and  Forrest  and  be  in  position  to  receive 
any  forces  from  Chattanooga,  if  I  can  get  my  orders 
obeyed.  If  Morgan  arid  Forrest  get  together  they  will 
have  three  thousand  five  hundred  well-mounted  cavalry. 
General  Manson  arrived  this  morning. 

W.  NELSON,  General* 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxii,  p.  213. 


CHAPTER   V. 

OPERATIONS    ON    BRAGG's    FLANK. 

ON  the  24th  of  July,  1862,  Forrest  wrote  from 
McMinnville  to  Major  W.  L.  Clay,  A.  A.  A.-G.,  at 
Knoxville,  reporting  that  he  had  no  public  property 
captured  across  the  Tennessee  River  by  Colonel  Whar- 
ton's  Eighth  Texas  Cavalry,  except  eight  wagons  and 
four  mules  to  a  wagon  needed  by  his  brigade.  He 
had  retained  the  captured  battery  also,  and  one  hundred 
muskets  for  recruits  secured.  He  had  two  engines  and 
all  the  transportation  between  the  break  across  Mill 
Creek  and  Murfreesboro.  Was  of  the  opinion  that  the 
enemy  would  fall  back  with  most  of  his  force  to  Mur 
freesboro,  and  in  conclusion  said :  "  We  have  succeed 
ed  in  drawing  ten  thousand  men  from  Athens  via  Co 
lumbia  to  Nashville  and  to  Murfreesboro,  and  also 
causing  them  to  move  three  times  in  the  last  five  days 
between  Nashville  and  Murfreesboro." 

On  the  4th  of  August  Major-General  E.  Kirby 
Smith,  commanding  the  department  with  headquar 
ters  at  Knoxville,  addressing  Forrest  as  general,  caused 
the  following  order  to  be  issued  to  him :  "  General 
Bragg  having  requested  it,  the  major-general  directs 
that  you  remain  in  that  section  of  the  country  where 
you  are  now  operating.  Starnes's  regiment,  Howard's 
battalion,  and  Huwald's  mountain  howitzer  battery 
have  been  ordered  to  you.  Scott's  brigade,  consisting 
of  his  own  and  Lawton's  regiments,  have  been  ordered 
to  Kingston.  .  .  .  They  should  have  already  reached 

73 


74  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

there."  On  the  same  date  Lieutenant  E.  Cunningham, 
acting  aide  to  General  Bragg,  wrote  the  same  to  Gen 
eral  Forrest,  also  stating  that  it  would  probably  be  two 
weeks  before  the  reenforcements  mentioned  would 
reach  him ;  that  Colonel  Crawford's  regiment  of  Geor 
gia  cavalry  would  report  to  him  in  a  few  days ;  that 
his  brigade  would  be  reorganized,  and  that  his  com 
mission  as  brigadier-general,  some  time  since  received, 
would  be  forwarded  as  soon  as  a  safe  opportunity 
offered.* 

This  commission,  dated  July  2ist,  was  received  by 
General  Forrest  some  time  later.  Governor  Isham  G. 
Harris  had  gone  on  to  Richmond  to  urge  Forrest's 
promotion,  which  seemed  to  come  rather  slowly.  Gen 
eral  Nelson  announced  that  he  would  hunt  Forrest 
himself,  as  he  had  about  twelve  hundred  cavalry.  Moves 
and  counter  moves  followed,  but  nothing  of  importance 
occurred  for  some  little  time.  About  the  loth  of 
August  General  Forrest  had  occasion  to  ride  across 
the  Cumberland  Mountains  to  Chattanooga,  leaving 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Hood,  of  the  Second  Georgia  Cav 
alry,  in  command.  Shortly  after  he  left,  a  Federal 
force  of  about  three  thousand  infantry  and  eight  hun 
dred  cavalry  was  reported  moving  on  McMinnville, 
and  Colonel  Hood  fell  back  eastward  to  Sparta,  a  dis 
tance  of  some  twenty-five  miles.  General  Forrest  re 
joined  the  command  there  after  an  absence  of  four  days, 
during  which  time  he  had  ridden  two  hundred  miles. 
Skirmishing  followed  for  a  week  or  ten  days,  after 
which  the  command  moved  over  to  Smithville,  and 
then  back  to  Woodbury  in  the  Federal  rear.  Resting 
a  few  hours,  Forrest  made  a  feint  on  Murfreesboro, 
now  strongly  fortified  and  not  to  be  surprised  again ; 
but  when  within  eight  miles  of  that  place  he  turned  left 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxiii,  p.  743. 


OPERATIONS  ON   BRAGG'S   FLANK.  75 

to  the  branch  railroad  leading  from  Tullahoma  to 
McMinnville,  captured  a  picket-post  of  twenty  men 
near  Manchester,  and  then  proceeded  east,  destroying 
the  road  and  bridges,  until  he  was  again  within  ten 
miles  of  McMinnville.  Forrest  was  well  aware  of 
Bragg's  intended  movement  into  Kentucky.  Under 
date  of  Chattanooga,  August  7,  1862,  the  latter  wrote 
to  Forrest :  "  You  can  not  cope  with  the  enemy  as  he 
is  now  located.  My  cavalry  is  slow  coming  in,  so  that 
you  have  not  been  reenforced  as  I  desired,  but  when 
it  comes  you  shall  have  the  whole.  In  the  meantime 
cover  our  front  well  with  a  view  to  the  future.  We  are 
now  crossing  and  massing  our  troops  with  a  view  to 
advance.  The  enemy  has  had  cavalry  as  high  as  Dun- 
lap.  .  .  .  Have  a  mere  corps  of  observation  where 
you  are  and  throw  the  balance  of  your  force  into  the 
Sequatchie  Valley  to  prevent  incursions.  After  these 
dispositions,  if  you  can  possibly  be  spared,  I  should 
like  to  see  you."  On  the  22d  of  August  a  staff-officer 
wrote  to  Forrest :  "  In  reply  to  yours  of  August  iQth 
the  commanding  general  directs  me  to  say  that  as  soon 
as  you  accomplish  your  present  object  you  will  return, 
in  accordance  with  instructions,  and  prepare  your  com 
mand  for  other  services.  Enemy  reported  approach 
ing  up  the  Sequatchie  Valley.  Artillery  will  be  sent 
soon  as  possible."  * 

Meantime  various  columns  had  been  organized  to 
hasten  in  and  catch  Forrest,  and  he  was  aware  of  his 
danger.  Nearing  McMinnville  he  determined  to  pass 
around  and  take  a  stand  at  Altamont,  and  await  the 
advance  of  Bragg's  army.  The  aim  was  to  avoid 
fighting,  escape  from  the  meshes  by  which  he  was  en 
closed,  and  come  in  touch  again  with  the  main  army, 
knowing  that  he  had  remained  full  long  in  Middle  Ten- 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxiii,  p.  770. 


76  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

nessee.  His  force  was  not  estimated  by  the  Federals 
at  more  than  fourteen  or  fifteen  hundred  men,  and  was, 
perhaps,  not  more  than  one  thousand  effectives.  Hard, 
active  service  had  thinned  the  ranks.  Endeavoring  to 
get  to  Altamont  his  scouts  one  day  reported  a  heavy 
force  coming  down  the  road  in  his  front.  He  wisely 
moved  back  a  short  distance,  crossed  into  the  dry  bed 
of  a  creek  near  the  road,  and  let  the  column  pass,  the 
same  as  he  did  when  General  Nelson's  command 
marched  up  the  pike  to  Nashville,  and  then  resumed 
the  march.  At  another  point  he  encountered  a  force 
of  infantry  with  artillery.  This  was  composed  of  three 
regiments  of  Wood's  brigade  and  four  guns  that  had 
been  encamped  near  McMinnville,  and  had  been  sent 
out  to  cut  off  Forrest.  The  general  made  a  flank 
movement,  passed  around,  and  escaped.  He  knew 
when  to  run  and  when  to  fight.  This  was  a  time  to 
avoid  a  fight.  Bragg  was  already  impatient  because 
he  had  held  out  so  long  on  the  western  side  of  the 
Cumberland  Mountains,  and  Forrest  felt  his  displeas 
ure  afterward.  On  this  occasion  a  few  shots  of  shell 
and  musketry  were  fired  by  the  Federals,  and  the  Con 
federates  lost  a  few  horses  and  mules  on  the  way  back, 
but  not  a  single  man. 

After  many  narrow  escapes  and  close  calls,  the 
"  Wizard  of  the  Saddle,"  with  what  was  left  of  his 
command  and  the  four  pieces  of  artillery  captured  at 
Murfreesboro,  joined  the  advance-guard  of  Major- 
General  Braxton  Bragg's  army  at  Sparta  on  the  3d  of 
September,  1862,  and  was  gratified  to  learn  that  he 
would  be  allowed  to  retain  the  four  guns,  and  also  that 
the  four  Alabama  companies  of  his  old  regiment,  under 
Bocot,  would  be  added  to  his  command.  He  had  an 
interview  with  General  Bragg  at  his  headquarters  some 
twenty  miles  in  the  rear  of  the  advance,  and  was  or 
dered  to  throw  his  brigade  back  toward  the  rear  of 


OPERATIONS   ON    BRAGG'S    FLANK.  77 

Buell's  army,  then  moving  toward  Nashville,  and  to 
harass  him  as  much  as  possible.  Buell  moved  rapidly, 
and  soon  abandoned  that  part  of  the  country.  When 
Forrest  reached  McMinnville  he  learned  that  the  Fed 
eral  vanguard  was  ten  hours  ahead,  but  he  came  up  with 
it  at  Woodbury,  and  soon  reoccupied  Murfreesboro, 
where  he  saved  the  court-house  from  being  burned 
by  some  irresponsible  Federal  stragglers.  Following 
resolutely,  he  had  frequent  skirmishes  with  Buell's 
rear-guard  and  flankers  on  to  Nashville,  which  pre 
vented  further  straggling  and  raids  on  farmhouses. 
For  nothing,  keeps  an  army  so  well  closed  up  as  the 
enemy's  cavalry  skirmishing  on  three  sides.  Not  only 
this,  but  Forrest  often  had  the  supreme  effrontery  to 
run  up  his  artillery,  and  use  it  so  effectively  as  to  com 
pel  the  infantry  to  form  in  line  of  battle  and  drive  him 
back.  This  suited  him  exactly,  and  he  had  no  objec 
tion  to  being  repulsed,  even  if  it  occurred  every  hour. 
Crossing  the  Cumberland  River,  a  few  miles  east  of 
Nashville,  he  kept  up  the  same  tactics,  and  was  joined 
by  General  Wheeler. 

About  the  8th  of  September  Forrest  reached  south 
ern  Kentucky  and  reported  in  person  to  General  Bragg. 
On  the  loth  he  reached  Glasgow,  and  a  few  days  later 
the  following  special  order,  already  virtually  given, 
was  issued  from  Bragg's  headquarters : 

HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI, 

GLASGOW,  KY.,  September  14,  1862. 

(Special  Order,  No.  7.) 

The  following  cavalry  force  to  be  commanded  by 
Brigadier-General  N.  B.  Forrest  is  assigned  to  the  right 
wing  of  the  Mississippi,  and  will  report  to  Major-General 
Polk  forthwith.  First  Alabama  (W.  W.)  Allen;  Second 
Georgia  (W.  J.)  Lawton ;  Fourth  Tennessee  (J.  P.)  Mur 
ray;  Forrest's  regiment  (Third  Tennessee  Cavalry),  four 
companies  (J.  F.)  Lay's  Confederate  regiment. 


80  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

airy  under  Colonel  A.  A.  Russell,  and  a  battery  under 
Captain  Freeman  and  Lieutenant  John  W.  Morton, 
constituting  a  brigade  under  the  command  of  Briga 
dier-General  Forrest. 

Major-General  John  C.  Breckenridge  came  upon 
the  scene  and  assumed  command  of  all  the  troops, 
bringing  with  him  a  force  of  some  three  thousand  men. 
General  Forrest  moved  up  to  La  Vergne,  and  to  his 
force  was  added  the  Eighth  Tennessee  and  Gunter's 
Alabama  battalion.  Strong  expeditions  were  sent  out 
to  intercept  Federal  foraging  parties  and  to  reconnoi- 
ter.  The  Confederates  in  front  of  Nashville  by  the  5th 
of  November  numbered  about  thirty-five  hundred  cav 
alry  and  three  thousand  infantry  under  Brigadier-Gen 
eral  Hanson.  Forrest  matured  the  idea  of  taking 
Nashville,  and  obtained  General  Breckenridge's  con 
sent.  The  attack  was  to  be  made  November  6th.  The 
advance  began  at  daylight,  and  the  pickets  at  the 
lunatic  asylum  were  driven  in  and  captured.  All 
was  ready  when  an  order  came  from  General  Breck 
enridge,  under  instructions  from  General  Bragg,  to 
recall  the  troops.  This  was  done,  but  Forrest  was 
much*  disappointed,  and  moving  across  to  the  Frank 
lin  pike  joined  for  a  time  with  his  troops  in  a  heavy 
skirmish  with  the  Federals,  in  which  artillery  was 
freely  used  on  both  sides.  After  this,  leaving  forces 
to  picket  the  different  roads,  he  fell  back  to  La 
Vergne. 

Again  he  was  ordered  to  report  in  person  to  General 
Bragg,  who,  after  the  battle  of  Perryville,  had  swung 
around  with  his  army  by  Knoxville  and  Chattanooga 
to  Murfreesboro.  There  he  was  ordered  to  take  com 
mand  of  a  brigade  and  move  to  Columbia,  Tenn.,  with 
a  view  to  crossing  the  Tennessee  River  on  an  expedi 
tion  into  West  Tennessee.  In  vain  he  plead  that  the 
regiments  were  not  suitably  armed  or  equipped  with 


OPERATIONS   ON   BRAGG'S   FLANK.  8 1 

guns  for  such  work.  Bragg  was  inexorable,  and  For 
rest  obeyed  orders.  A  promise  was  made  that  proper 
arms  would  be  supplied  at  Columbia,  but  this  was  not 
done.  The  command,  about  eighteen  hundred  strong, 
reached  Columbia  December  6,  1862. 


80  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

airy  under  Colonel  A.  A.  Russell,  and  a  battery  under 
Captain  Freeman  and  Lieutenant  John  W.  Morton, 
constituting  a  brigade  under  the  command  of  Briga 
dier-General  Forrest. 

Major-General  John  C.  Breckenridge  came  upon 
the  scene  and  assumed  command  of  all  the  troops, 
bringing  with  him  a  force  of  some  three  thousand  men. 
General  Forrest  moved  up  to  La  Vergne,  and  to  his 
force  was  added  the  Eighth  Tennessee  and  Gunter's 
Alabama  battalion.  Strong  expeditions  were  sent  out 
to  intercept  Federal  foraging  parties  and  to  reconnoi- 
ter.  The  Confederates  in  front  of  Nashville  by  the  5th 
of  November  numbered  about  thirty-five  hundred  cav 
alry  and  three  thousand  infantry  under  Brigadier-Gen 
eral  Hanson.  Forrest  matured  the  idea  of  taking 
Nashville,  and  obtained  General  Breckenridge's  con 
sent.  The  attack  was  to  be  made  November  6th.  The 
advance  began  at  daylight,  and  the  pickets  at  the 
lunatic  asylum  were  driven  in  and  captured.  All 
was  ready  when  an  order  came  from  General  Breck 
enridge,  under  instructions  from  General  Bragg,  to 
recall  the  troops.  This  was  done,  but  Forrest  was 
much'  disappointed,  and  moving  across  to  the  Frank 
lin  pike  joined  for  a  time  with  his  troops  in  a  heavy 
skirmish  with  the  Federals,  in  which  artillery  was 
freely  used  on  both  sides.  After  this,  leaving  forces 
to  picket  the  different  roads,  he  fell  back  to  La 
Vergne. 

Again  he  was  ordered  to  report  in  person  to  General 
Bragg,  who,  after  the  battle  of  Perryville,  had  swung 
around  with  his  army  by  Knoxville  and  Chattanooga 
to  Murfreesboro.  There  he  was  ordered  to  take  com 
mand  of  a  brigade  and  move  to  Columbia,  Tenn.,  with 
a  view  to  crossing  the  Tennessee  River  on  an  expedi 
tion  into  West  Tennessee.  In  vain  he  plead  that  the 
regiments  were  not  suitably  armed  or  equipped  with 


OPERATIONS   ON    BRAGG'S   FLANK.  8 1 

guns  for  such  work.  Bragg  was  inexorable,  and  For 
rest  obeyed  orders.  A  promise  was  made  that  proper 
arms  would  be  supplied  at  Columbia,  but  this  was  not 
done.  The  command,  about  eighteen  hundred  strong, 
reached  Columbia  December  6,  1862. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

BATTLE    OF    PARKER'S    CROSSROADS. 

FOUR  days  after  Forrest  reached  Columbia  he  re 
ceived  peremptory  orders  to  cross  the  river  into  West 
Tennessee.  Again  he  appealed  to  the  general  of  the 
army  for  better  arms  and  equipments,  but  in  vain,  for 
he  was  given  to  understand  that  he  was  to  go — guns 
or  no  guns.  Whether  Bragg  had  made  up  his  mind  to 
sacrifice  Forrest's  command  if  need  be  to  make  a  diver 
sion  in  the  direction  of  Memphis  between  the  armies 
of  Grant  and  Rosecrans,  or  thought  the  resourceful 
brigadier  would  take  care  of  himself  as  usual,  does  not 
appear.  Forrest,  however,  was  the  man  above  all  oth 
ers  for  such  a  desperate  enterprise.  Sending  ahead  a 
small  detachment  of  troops  and  workmen  he  caused 
two  small  flatboats  to  be  constructed  near  Clifton,  and 
concealed  them  in  a  slough  on  the  east  side  of  an  island. 
This  work  had  to  be  conducted  with  the  utmost  caution 
to  avoid  discovery.  The  little  army  of  forlorn  hope 
reached  this  place  on  the  I5th  of  December  twenty- 
one  hundred  strong,  and  of  this  number  not  more 
than  fifteen  hundred  were  effective.  The  troops  were 
Starnes's  Fourth  Tennessee,  Dibbrell's  Eighth,  Bififle's 
Ninth,  Russell's  Fourth  Alabama,  Cox's  Tennessee 
battalion,  Woodward's  two  Kentucky  companies,  Cap 
tain  William  Forrest's  scouts,  Freeman's  battery,  and 
the  general's  escort.  Napier's  battalion,  four  hundred 
strong,  joined  afterward  at  Union  City,  but  was  too 
poorly  armed  to  be  of  real  service  at  that  time.  Here 
82 


'  BATTLE   OF   PARKER'S   CROSSROADS.  83 

was  a  most  desperate  undertaking  in  midwinter — going 
into  the  enemy's  country  as  now  occupied,  the  river 
patrolled  by  gunboats,  and  Federal  troops  scattered 
everywhere.  Forrest  felt  all  this  keenly,  but  went  to 
work  with  celerity.  The  small  boats  would  carry  only 
twenty-five  men  and  horses  at  a  time;  the  river  was 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  wide ;  there  was  a  pelting  cold 
rain,  and  the  men  had  no  tents.  Pickets  were  scattered 
up  and  down  the  river  to  look  out  for  gunboats,  and 
the  crossing,  effected  continuously,  occupied  almost  a 
day  and  night. 

On  the  morning  of  the  I7th  the  command  moved 
out  eight  miles  and  stopped  to  dry  clothing,  examine 
caps  and  ammunition,  and  groom  horses.  Fortunately 
for  the  command,  a  citizen,  sent  ahead  by  Forrest  for  the 
purpose  of  securing  caps  for  shotguns  and  pistols  from 
his  agents  within  the  lines,  reported  that  night  with 
fifty  thousand  caps,  an  ample  supply  for  the  time  being. 
On  the  morning  of  the  i8th  he  moved  toward  Lexing 
ton,  and  when  near  there  encountered  pickets,  and  back 
of  them  a  considerable  Federal  force,  and  a  sharp  en 
gagement  ensued.  The  Federals  had  three  regiments : 
the  Eleventh  Illinois,  under  Colonel  Robert  G.  Inger- 
soll ;  the  Second  Tennessee,  under  Colonel  Hawkins ; 
the  Fifth  Ohio  Cavalry,  three  hundred  strong,  under 
Adjutant  Harrison,  and  a  battery.  Colonel  Ingersoll 
had  marched  out  to  Beech  Creek,  five  miles  east  of 
Lexington,  and  was  proceeding  farther  eastward,  when 
Captain  O'Hara  joined  him  with  sixty-eight  men,  and 
reported  that  the  Confederates,  about  one  thousand 
strong,  were  advancing.  Colonel  Ingersoll  slowly 
withdrew  in  good  order.  Captain  Frank  B.  Gurley, 
sent  forward  by  Forrest  with  twenty  men  in  advance  of 
his  battalion,  had  a  slight  skirmish  with  the  advance- 
guard,  and  captured  one  or  two  of  their  number.  The 
bridge  at  Beech  Creek  was  dismantled,  and  the  Second 


84  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

Tennessee  Cavalry  (Federal)  was  drawn  up  in  line  on 
the  west  bank,  but  was  driven  back  by  a  heavy  fire  from 
the  other  side.  In  twenty  minutes  Forrest  had  the 
bridge-sills  replaced  with  fence-rails,  and  Gurley's  men 
passed  over.  Meanwhile  Colonel  Ingersoll  formed  all 
his  troops  in  a  good  position  in  the  edge  of  some  timber. 
The  Federals  made  a  gallant  stand,  but  were  driven 
back  with  loss  on  both  sides.  Another  stand  was  made 
near  the  town,  with  artillery  and  cavalry  well  posted. 
Forrest,  with  Dibbrell's  and  Biffle's  regiments  and  his 
escort,  threw  himself  on  the  Federal  line  and  broke  it, 
leaving  Colonel  Ingersoll's  regiment  and  a  section  of 
artillery  to  face  a  superior  force.  The  Fourth  Ala 
bama  was  subjected  to  a  heavy  fire,  and  Captain  Gurley 
made  a  detour  up  a  ravine  to  the  right  to  a  point  not 
more  than  one  hundred  yards  from  the  two  guns,  and 
with  his  squadron  in  advance  charged  at  full  speed 
upon  the  section.  The  gunners  fought  with  despera 
tion,  but  were  run  over.  This,  in  conjunction  with 
Forrest's  charge,  stampeded  the  Second  Tennessee  and 
Ohio  Cavalry,  and  the  day  was  lost.  Forrest's  main 
command  was  concentrated,  and  the  battle  was  over. 
The  two  3-inch  Rodman  guns  of  the  Fourteenth 
Indiana  Battery,  handled  so  well  under  Lieutenant 
McGuire,  were  held  and  used  by  Forrest  until  the  end 
of  the  war.  Colonel  Ingersoll  afterward  reported 
eleven  killed  and  eleven  wounded,  and  besides  the 
wounded,  one  hundred  and  forty-seven  prisoners — 
total,  one  hundred  and  fifty-eight,  including  six  officers. 
The  guns,  he  says,  were  taken  with  every  man  but  one, 
and  a  moment  after  he  was  himself  taken.  Forrest,  in 
his  report,  says  he  captured  two  guns,  one  hundred  and 
fifty  prisoners,  including  Colonel  Ingersoll  and  Major 
L.  A.  Kerr,  also  some  seventy  horses,  which  were  im 
mediately  put  in  service  in  the  batteries.  These  ac 
counts  substantially  agree. 


BATTLE   OF   PARKER'S   CROSSROADS.  85 

Ingersoll  estimated  the  Confederate  force  at  five 
thousand,  with  eight  12-pounder  guns.  It  was  For 
rest's  policy  to  always  exaggerate  his  own  forces. 
Later  on  in  this  campaign,  when  he  captured  some 
drums,  he  had  them  beaten  at  night  at  wide  distances 
apart  to  create  the  impression  that  he  had  a  large  in 
fantry  force  on  the  field.  According  to  Colonel  Inger- 
soll's  report,  he  had  only  a  total  effective  force  of  seven 
hundred  and  seventy-three  men.  Those  who  escaped 
fled  to  Jackson,  closely  pursued.  Forrest  followed, 
and  made  a  feint  on  the  little  city,  which  was  garri 
soned  by  a  heavy  force,  and  it  was  known  to  the  Con 
federate  leader  that  General  Grant  was  hurrying  troops 
to  the  protection  of  railroads  and  fortified  places. 
Colonel  Dibbrell  was  sent  north  that  night,  reached 
Carroll  Station  on  tlje  Mobile  and  Ohio  Railroad,  and 
at  daylight  fired  into  a  passing  train  and  captured  a 
stockade  with  one  hundred  prisoners,  and  ammunition, 
stores,  tents,  etc.  Four  hundred  of  Dibbrell's  men  were 
still  armed  with  flint-locks,  and  part  of  these  were  ex 
changed  for  better  guns.  Dibbrell  rejoined  Forrest  at 
Spring  Creek  on  the  morning  of  the  2Oth.  The  Fourth 
Alabama  and  Second  Tennessee  battalions  were  sent 
south  of  Jackson  to  destroy  bridges  and  other  property 
on  the  two  railroads  runing  through  to  Corinth  and 
Bolivar,  and  Forrest  continued  to  menace  Jackson,  as 
if  seriously  intending  to  assault  the  place,  and  really 
drove  in  both  cavalry  and  infantry  with  his  artillery 
and  flank  movements.  The  Federal  troops  engaged 
were  the  Forty-third,  Sixty-first,  and  Eleventh  Illi 
nois,  Fifth  Ohio,  and  one  company  of  the  Second  West 
Tennessee.  Forrest  had  only  Starnes's  and  BifHe's 
regiments  and  Major  Woodward's  two  Kentucky  com 
panies  besides  his  escort  and  artillery. 

The  Union  forces  within  Jackson  were  probably  ten 
thousand  strong,  with  thirty  pieces  of  artillery.    On  the 


86  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

morning  of  the  2oth  the  entire  Confederate  force,  ex 
cept  the  Fourth  Alabama — left  to  keep  up  appearances 
— moved  rapidly  north.  The  command  was  divided. 
Colonel  Starnes  moved  on  Humboldt,  captured  the 
stockade  and  over  one  hundred  prisoners,  and  burned 
supplies,  depot,  trestle  and  bridge,  and  also  took  four 
caissons,  with  horses  and  harness,  and  five  hundred 
stands  of  arms.  Dibbrell,  with  his  regiment  and  two 
pieces  of  artillery  under  Lieutenant  Morton,  was  sent 
to  take  the  stockade  and  destroy  the  bridge  at  Forked 
Deer  Creek,  but  was  repulsed.  Forrest  reached  and 
charged  on  Trenton  at  three  o'clock  that  afternoon, 
the  2Oth,  but  found  the  place  well  defended,  and  had 
two  men  killed  and  one  wounded.  His  artillery  was 
brought  into  play,  and  a  surrender  was  signified  in  a 
few  minutes.  Forrest  claimed  to  .have  captured  seven 
hundred  prisoners,  though  Colonel  Jacob  Fry,  the  com 
mander,  admitted  to  only  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
men,  including  himself,  of  the  Sixty-first  Illinois, 
Colonel  Hawkins,  Second  Tennessee  Cavalry,  and  nine 
officers  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-second  Illi 
nois  Infantry  and  the  Fourth  Illinois  Cavalry.  For 
rest's  force  present  was  Riffle's  regiment,  Cox's  battal 
ion,  the  escort  company,  and  Freeman's  battery. 

The  entire  number  of  prisoners  now  on  hand  and 
brought  up  later  amounted  to  about  twelve  hundred. 
All  were  paroled ;  the  officers  and  men  of  Hawkins's 
regiment  allowed  to  return  home  ;  the  remainder,  some 
eight  or  nine  hundred,  were  sent,  under  escort  com 
manded  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  N.  D.  Collins,  to  Co 
lumbus,  Ky.,  to  be  turned  over  to  a  Federal  commander. 
The  general  spent  the  night  in  paroling  prisoners  and 
destroying  supplies  not  needed.  The  capture  and  de 
struction  of  property  amounted  to  several  hundred 
thousand  dollars. 

On  the  morning  of  the  2ist  he  burned  the  depot 


BATTLE   OF   PARKER'S   CROSSROADS.  8/ 

with  six  hundred  bales  of  cotton,  two  hundred  barrels 
of  pork,  and  a  large  quantity  of  tobacco  in  hogsheads, 
which  had  been  used  as  breastworks.  Russell's  regi 
ment,  the  rear-guard,  gave  a  fine  account  of  itself,  re 
pulsing  an  infantry  column  at  Spring  Creek  and  reach 
ing  Trenton,  as  well  as  Starnes's  and  Dibbrell's  regi 
ments,  on  the  morning  of  the  2ist,  when  the  entire 
command  moved  toward  Union  City.  Two  companies 
of  Federals  were  captured  at  Rutherford  Station,  and 
trestles  and  bridges  were  destroyed  on  to  Kenton  Sta 
tion,  where  Colonel  Thomas  J.  Kenney,  of  the  One 
Hundred  and  Nineteenth  Illinois,  with  part  of  his  com 
mand — some  two  hundred  and  fifty  men — was  cap 
tured,  also  twenty-two  sick  men  in  the  hospital,  who 
were  paroled.  The  afternoon  was  mainly  occupied  in 
burning  about  seven  miles  of  trestle,  and  the  follow 
ing  day,  the  22d,  some  fifteen  miles  of  track  and  trestle 
in  the  Obion  bottom  were  destroyed,  also  some  more 
stockades.  The  prisoners  taken  were  paroled. 

Reports  came  that  a  heavy  force  of  Federals,  esti 
mated  at  ten  thousand,  was  coming  up  from  Jackson ; 
yet  Forrest  determined  to  advance  to  Union  City, 
twenty  miles  distant.  Reaching  there  at  4  P.  M.  on  the 
23d,  he  dashed  in  and  captured  the  place  without  firing 
a  gun.  A  day  or  two  was  spent  in  destroying  railroad 
bridges,  masonry,  and  trestles  over  the  north  and  south 
forks  of  the  Obion  River.  By  Christmas  evening  a 
clean  sweep  had  been  made  of  the  Mobile  and  Ohio 
Railroad  from  Jackson,  Tenn.,  to  Moscow,  Ky. ;  only 
one  bridge  was  left.  It  was  now  time  to  start  back.  On 
the  morning  of  the  26th  the  command,  which  had  in 
creased  somewhat  in  numbers,  if  not  in  strength,  was 
started  for  Dresden,  twenty  miles  distant.  That  day 
the  bridge  on  the  branch  road  running  to  Paducah  was 
burned.  Little  more  was  left  to  be  done  on  that  line 
At  night  the  command  reached  Dresden,  destroyed  all 
7 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

Government  supplies  found,  and  tore  up  the  railroad. 
Next  day  (27th),  still  on  the  march,  it  was  learned 
that  two  brigades  of  infantry  were  moving  out  to  in 
tercept  the  command.  The  river  bridges  were  down, 
and  the  enemy  guarded  all  the  crossings. 

One  old  bridge,  half-way  between  McKenzie  and 
McLemoresville,  supposed  to  be  impassable,  had  been 
overlooked;  Forrest  made  for  this,  and  all  through 
the  night  of  the  27th  labored  with  his  men  to  erect  or 
brace  up  a  causeway  through  the  miry  bottoms  a  quar 
ter  of  a  mile  on  each  side,  and  to  strengthen  the  old 
bridge.  On  the  morning  of  the  28th  he  drove  over  the 
first  wagon  with  his  own  hands ;  the  artillery,  long 
loaded  train,  and  troops  followed.  It  was  a  narrow  es 
cape  from  a  dangerous  dilemma.  The  Federals  were 
hunting  for  him,  but  not  in  such  a  place  as  that.  While 
the  work  was  going  on  Colonel  C.  L.  Dunham  marched 
a  Federal  brigade  of  infantry  directly  across  Forrest's 
line  of  retreat  at  a  point  only  five  miles  away. 
When  the  Confederates  came  out  of  the  bottoms  and 
reached  McLemoresville  Dunham's  rear-guard  had 
just  passed ;  other  brigades  were  in  the  immediate 
neighborhood,  and  could  have  easily  surrounded  and 
captured  Forrest  had  their  commanders  but  known 
where  he  was. 

On  the  west,  a  few  miles  away,  was  a  brigade  com 
posed  of  the  Seventy-seventh,  Thirty-ninth,  and  Sixty- 
third  Ohio,  under  Colonel  John  W.  Fuller ;  while  Gen 
erals  J.  C.  Sullivan  and  I.  N.  Haynie  were  marching 
from  Trenton  to  unite  with  Dunham.  General  G.  M. 
Dodge  and  the  First  Brigade,  composed  of  the  Second, 
Seventh,  and  Fifty-second  Illinois,  and  the  Third  Bri 
gade,  made  up  of  the  Seventh,  Fiftieth,  and  Fifty-sev 
enth  Illinois  regiments,  two  batteries  of  the  Missouri 
Light  Artillery,  the  Fifth  Ohio,  and  Stewart's  cavalry, 
occupied  the  country  to  the  front  and  south  of  Forrest, 


BATTLE   OF    PARKER'S   CROSSROADS.  89 

and  these  forces  were  strengthened  at  Purdy  by  a  sec 
tion  of  artillery  and  the  Fifty-eighth  Illinois  regiment, 
and  General  Clinton  B.  Fisk  was  at  Columbus,  Ky.,- 
begging  for  permission  to  take  four  thousand  men  and 
go  out  to  "  Defeat  and  skedaddle  the  entire  rebel 
horde."  General  J.  C.  Sullivan  wired  General  Grant 
on  the  29th  of  December  from  Huntingdon :  "  I  have 
Forrest  in  a  tight  place ;  the  gunboats  are  up  the  river 
as  far  as  Clinton,  and  have  destroyed  all  the  boats  and 
ferries.  My  troops  are  moving  on  him  in  three  direc 
tions,  and  I  hope  with  success." 

Forrest  thus  surrounded  by  well-trained  and  well- 
commanded  troops  was  certainly  in  a  close  place.  He 
had  accomplished  much  in  the  destruction  of  Govern 
ment  and  railroad  property,  and  had  interrupted  com 
munication,  and  prevented  reenforcements  from  going 
to  Rosecrans,  then  moving  on  Murfreesboro,  or  to 
the  Union  forces  intended  eventually  to  take  Vicksburg. 
It  was  to  be  a  run  for  the  Tennessee  River,  forty  miles 
distant,  or  a  fight,  and  he  decided  on  the  latter.  Emerg 
ing  from  the  Obion  bottoms  in  a  somewhat  bedraggled 
and  dilapidated  condition,  Forrest's  command  moved 
out  to  the  hamlet  of  McLemoresville,  where  he  gave  his 
men  and  horses  a  much-needed  rest.  However,  he 
soon  learned  from  scouts  that  a  Federal  force,  esti 
mated  by  country  people  to  be  ten  thousand  strong,  was 
at  Huntingdon,  only  twelve  miles  distant.  So  on  the 
morning  of  the  29th  Forrest  moved  on  toward  Lex 
ington,  and  had  to  pass  over  rough  and  miry  roads. 
The  heavily  loaded  wagons  and  artillery  were  drawn 
slowly.  That  night  he  encamped  within  six  miles  of 
Lexington.  General  Dunham  was  coming  on  one  side 
and  General  Fuller  on  the  other.  Captain  William  For 
rest,  with  his  Independents,  was  sent  out  to  reconnoiter, 
and  soon  encountered  Dunham's  brigade,  which  took 
a  position  at  Parker's  crossroads,  almost  in  Forrest's 


90  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

front.  Four  companies  were  sent  to  look  out  for  Ful 
ler's  brigade  and  report  its  advance,  if  made  to  reen- 
force  Dunham.  This  detachment  went  wrong  some 
how,  and  thus  when  Forrest  became  engaged  Fuller 
came  upon  his  rear  in  the  hour  of  Confederate  victory 
and  imperiled  the  whole  command.  Forrest  had  felt 
that  he  could  easily  handle  one  Federal  brigade  at  a 
time. 

Dunham  had  been  driven  back  by  twelve  o'clock, 
and  Colonel  Biffle,  coming  up  at  this  opportune  mo 
ment,  joined  in  the  charge.  Here  Colonel  T.  A.  Na 
pier  risked  his  life  without  orders  and  fell  mortally 
wounded.  The  Confederates  captured  three  pieces  of 
artillery.  Starnes  and  Russell  reached  the  rear  of  the 
Federals  and  captured  their  wagon-  and  ammunition- 
train,  and  their  defeat  or  capture  seemed  assured.  For 
rest  sent  in  a  flag  of  truce,  demanding  an  unconditional 
surrender ;  but  just  in  the  moment  of  apparent  ac 
quiescence  a  heavy  fire  came  from  the  rear.  This  was 
from  Fuller's  brigade,  and  was  a  complete  and  stun 
ning  surprise.  Colonel  Fuller  was  in  immediate  com 
mand  of  the  brigade  making  the  attack.  Many  horses 
were  killed.  Forrest  lost  the  guns  captured,  and  was 
only  able  to  bring  off  six  of  his  own.  Some  three  hun 
dred  of  Forrest's  men,  dismounted  and  fighting  as  in 
fantry  were  captured ;  that  all  were  not  captured  is  a 
wonder.  The  Confederate  leader  here  manifested  his 
genius  in  the  face  of  an  appalling  situation.  He  or 
dered  his  artillery  out  between  the  lines  of  enfilading 
fire,  rallied  his  men,  threw  out  a  strong  rear-guard, 
made  a  show  of  fight,  and  got  away  with  the  great  bulk 
of  his  command. 

The  firing  from  his  rear  came  while  a  flag  of  truce 
was  flying  and  in  a  moment  of  supposed  victory.  If 
the  detachment  sent  out  to  watch  for  Fuller  had  not 
lost  its  way  this  complete  surprise  could  not  have  oc- 


BATTLE   OF   PARKER'S   CROSSROADS.  QI 

curred.  The  Confederate  leader,  however,  never  lost 
his  head  for  a  moment,  but  brought  to  bear  the  most 
skilful  management  possible  under  the  circumstances. 
Using  his  ever-faithful  escort  and  Dibbrell's  regiment 
as  a  rear-guard  he  protected  his  retreat  with  surpass 
ing  address  and  show  of  force — even  using  his  artillery 
and  creating  the  impression  that  he  was  making  an  ad 
vance.  This  was  all  the  easier  to  do  by  such  a  leader 
on  account  of  the  exaggerated  reports  put  out  in  re 
gard  to  the  size  of  the  force.  The  Federals  estimated 
this  to  be  from  eight  to  ten  thousand  men,  when  it  did 
not  really  amount  to  as  many  as  twenty-five  hundred, 
including  the  recruits  picked  up  at  different  points. 
His  fighting  force  at  Parker's  crossroads,  including 
Biffle's  regiment,  which  came  up  late,  was  about  twen 
ty-two  hundred  and  fifty.  Bifflie  had  been  detached 
twenty-four  hours  previously,  and  had  captured  and 
paroled  one  hundred  and  twenty  officers  and  men  seven 
miles  east  of  Trenton.  Starnes  had  also  been  detached, 
but  both  came  to  the  battle. 

General  Sullivan,  who  came  upon  the  field  when 
the  battle  was  over,  telegraphed  to  General  Grant: 
"  We  met  Forrest  seven  thousand  strong,  and  after 
a  contest  of  four  hours  routed  him  with  great  slaugh 
ter.  We  have  captured  six  guns,  over  three  hundred 
prisoners,  over  five  hundred  horses,  and  a  large  num 
ber  of  wagons  and  teams,  and  a  large  quantity  of 
small  arms.  Colonel  Cox  and  Major  Strange,  For 
rest's  adjutant,  and  one  aide-de-camp,  and  a  number 
of  other  officers  captured ;  Colonel  Napier  killed,"  etc. 
On  the  2d  of  January,  1863,  he  added:  "  The  rebel 
loss,  as  estimated  by  Forrest,  is  fifteen  hundred  killed, 
wounded,  and  missing.  Their  dead,  I  have  good 
reason  to  believe,  is  two  hundred ;  their  prisoners  over 
four  hundred.  My  loss  will  not  exceed  one  hundred 
killed  and  wounded  ;  prisoners  sixty-three.  ...  I  have 


92  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

ordered  Colonel  Lawler,  with  three  thousand  of  his  old 
troops  and  eight  pieces  of  artillery,  to  follow  the  re 
treating  enemy  to  the  river.  Forrest's  army  is  com 
pletely  broken  up.  They  are  scattered  over  the  coun 
try  without  ammunition.  We  need  a  good  cavalry  com 
mand  to  go  through  the  country  and  pick  them  up."  * 
Colonel  Dunham  reported  twenty-three  killed  in  his 
brigade,  one  hundred  and  thirty-nine  wounded,  and 
fifty-eight  missing.  A  subsequent  list  showed  two 
officers  and  twenty-five  enlisted  men  killed,  seven  offi 
cers  and  one  hundred  and  thirty-three  men  wounded, 
three  officers  and  sixty-seven  men  captured — total,  two 
hundred  and  thirty-seven. 

Besides  the  death  of  Colonel  Napier,  a  promising 
young  officer,  General  Forrest  lost  by  capture  his  adju 
tant-general,  Major  J.  P.  Strange.  This  occurred  at  a 
time  when  the  surrender  of  Dunham's  brigade  was  re 
garded  as  a  certainty.  So  confident  was  Strange  of 
this  that  he  rode  alone  to  the  ordnance  train  of  eighteen 
wagons  and  took  possession  of  it  and  its  escort  of 
twenty-two  men,  and  began  to  make  an  inventory  of 
his  capture ;  but  just  then  Sullivan's  men  came  upon 
the  scene,  and  the  major  was  taken  prisoner.  He  was 
sent  to  Alton  Prison,  Illinois,  and  not  exchanged  for 
four  or  five  months. 

After  the  battle  Forrest  concentrated  his  command 
as  quickly  as  possible  and  moved  rapidly  on  Lexington 
— twelve  miles  distant,  where  the  men  and  animals 
were  fed  and  the  wounded  cared  for.  At  two  o'clock 
the  next  morning,  January  I,  1863,  the  command  was 
on  the  move  toward  Clifton.  Ten  miles  out  a  halt  was 
made  for  three  hours,  and  there  the  prisoners,  some 
three  hundred  in  number,  were  paroled.  Moving  on 
the  general  was  informed  by  scouts  that  a  heavy  force 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xvii,  part  i,  p.  552. 


BATTLE  OF  PARKER'S  CROSSROADS.      93 

was  coming  out  from  Purdy  to  intercept  him,  and  he 
found  a  force  of  some  twelve  hundred  cavalry  across 
his  line  of  march.  Dibbrell  charged  directly  through 
the  center ;  Biffle  and  Starnes  charged  right  and  left, 
and  the  road  was  soon  cleared.  The  Federals  lost  some 
twenty  killed  and  wounded  and  about  fifty  prisoners, 
while  the  Confederates  did  not  lose  a  man.  However, 
Lieutenant-Colonel  W.  K.  M.  Breckenridge,  command 
ing  the  Sixth  Tennessee  Union  Cavalry,  reported  only 
six  prisoners  lost  on  this  occasion. 

Forrest  knew  the  importance  of  getting  out  of  West 
Tennessee,  and  sent  ahead  to  have  the  two  sunken  boats 
raised  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  river  to  be  brought 
over  at  a  signal.  His  advance  reached  Clifton  about 
noon  January  ist,  and  he  at  once  rushed  over  the  artil 
lery  and  ammunition  and  a  few  men.  Once  across,  the 
guns  were  placed  in  position  to  protect  the  crossing  if 
need  be.  Scouts  were  sent  out  to  look  for  gunboats, 
but  fortunately  for  the  Confederates  none  appeared. 
Some  of  the  men  constructed  rude  rafts,  and  most  of 
the  horses  were  made  to  swim  over.  Fully  one  thou 
sand  were  in  the  water  at  one  time.  The  entire  com 
mand  of  about  twenty-one  hundred  men  and  horses, 
six  pieces  of  artillery,  and  a  train  of  wagons,  with  cap 
tured  stores,  crossed  over  the  river  in  ten  hours.  This 
did  not  include  quite  the  entire  force,  as  one  detach 
ment  of  one  hundred  men  and  other  small  scattering 
parties  crossed  at  different  points,  and  afterward  re 
joined  the  main  command.  The  Federal  pursuit 
through  mud,  ice,  and  drenching  cold  rain  or  sleet  was 
heavy,  but  not  active.  Forrest  kept  his  men  well  in 
hand,  and  really  encountered  no  serious  check  or  ob 
stacle  in  his  forty  miles'  march  from  Parker's  cross 
roads  to  Clinton. 

He  had  been  gone  seventeen  days ;  had  marched 
about  twenty  miles  a  day,  nearly  half  the  time  in  rain 


94  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

or  snow ;  had  fought  one  battle,  and  had  numerous 
smaller  engagements  and  skirmishes ;  killed,  wounded, 
and  captured  about  fourteen  hundred  of  the  Federal 
troops,  including  four  colonels  of  regiments  captured ; 
had  captured  four  pieces  of  artillery — losing  three  af 
terward  ;  destroyed  much  railroad  and  Government 
property ;  cut  Grant  off  from  railroad  communication 
with  the  North,  so  that  rations  and  forage  could  not 
be  issued  in  a  regular  way  for  two  weeks,  and  caused 
Grant  to  change  his  base  from  the  interior  and  return 
to  La  Grange  and  Grand  Junction  on  the  Memphis  and 
Charleston  Railroad,  besides  preventing  reenforce- 
ments  from  going  to  Rosecrans  in  front  of  Nashville.* 
All  in  all,  this  was,  perhaps,  one  of  Forrest's  most 
remarkable  campaigns,  when  the  difficulties  and  the 
superior  forces  against  him  are  taken  into  account. 
Starting  in  with  about  twenty-one  hundred  men  all 
told,  and  picking  up  nearly  five  hundred  raw  recruits, 
losing  nearly  five  hundred  in  killed,  wounded,  and  cap 
tured,  he  recrossed  the  river  with  nearly  or  quite  his 

*  On  December  20,  1862,  when  General  Grant  with  his  army 
was  at  Oxford,  Miss.,  confronting  Pemberton  and  the  Confed 
erates,  and  Sherman  was  moving  a  large  force  from  Memphis 
by  river  to  take  Vicksburg  by  getting  to  Pemberton's  rear,  Van 
Dorn  with  a  force  of  mounted  men  appeared  at  Holly  Springs, 
in  Grant's  rear,  captured  the  garrison  of  fifteen  hundred  men 
under  Colonel  Murphy,  of  the  Eighth  Wisconsin,  and  destroyed 
a  vast  quantity  of  stores,  valued  at  between  three  and  five  million 
dollars,  including  food,  forage,  and  munitions  of  war.  Grant 
was  compelled  to  fall  back  in  consequence,  and  he  pronounced 
it  a  disgraceful  capture  to  the  officer  commanding,  and  he  adds  : 
"At  the  same  time  Forrest  got  on  the  line  of  railroad  between 
Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  Columbus,  Ky.,  doing  much  damage  to  it. 
This  cut  me  off  from  all  communication  with  the  North  for  more 
than  two  weeks,  and  that  interval  elapsed  before  rations  of  for 
age  could  be  issued  from  stores  in  the  regular  way." — Personal 
Memoirs  of  U.  S.  Grant,  vol.  i,  p.  433. 


BATTLE   OF    PARKER'S   CROSSROADS.  95 

original  number  of  men,  all  well  armed  and  supplied 
with  an  abundance  of  captured  ammunition,  blankets, 
coffee,  etc.  Besides  which  he  brought  out  five  hundred 
surplus  Enfield  rifles  and  eighteen  hundred  blankets  and 
knapsacks.  Going  in  with  seven  pieces  of  artillery  he 
brought  out  six,  one  having  exploded  in  the  battle. 
General  Bragg  was  quite  complimentary  in  his  report 
to  Richmond,  and  the  Confederate  Congress  passed  a 
vote  of  thanks  to  Brigadier-General  Forrest  and  his 
troops. 

NOTE. — It  was  while  on  this  expedition  and  at  Trenton, 
Tenn.,  that  General  Forrest  came  into  possession  of  a  handsome 
sword  of  the  Damascus  pattern,  such  as  had  been  worn  by  offi 
cers  of  the  old  United  States  dragoons.  This  is  the  one  which 
he  had  sharpened  to  a  point  and  on  the  edge,  and  used  so  often 
in  personal  encounters  from  that  time  until  the  end  of  the  war. 
It  is  still  in  the  possession  of  a  member  of  the  Forrest  family. 
The  writer  is  assured  by  Captain  William  M.  Forrest,  Dr.  J.  B. 
Cowan,  and  other  members  of  his  staff  and  command,  that,  con 
trary  to  other  statements,  he  wore  his  sword  only  on  the  left 
side  and  drew  it  with  his  right  hand,  though,  being  left-handed, 
or  ambidextrous,  he  sometimes  transferred  it  or  his  pistol,  when 
in  action,  to  his  left  hand. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

REPULSE    AT    DOVER.  —  SUCCESS    AT     THOMPSONS 
STATION. 

AFTER  the  battle  of  Murfreesboro,  or  Stone  River, 
fought  December  31,  1862,  General  Bragg  fell  back  to 
Shelbyville,  where  General  Forrest  reported  to  him  in 
person,  and  was  ordered  to  remain  at  Columbia,  Tenn., 
and  throw  out  pickets  to  protect  the  left  flank  of  the 
Confederate  army  against  the  Federal  forces  in  front. 
For  two  or  three  weeks  little  of  importance  was  done 
more  than  to  recuperate  the  command.  Toward  the 
last  of  January  General  Forrest  was  ordered  by  Major- 
General  Wheeler,  who  had  become  chief  of  cavalry  in 
that  department,  to  take  eight  hundred  men  and  inter 
rupt  as  far  as  possible  the  navigation  on  Cumberland 
River,  and  he  made  some  moves  with  small  forces  to 
that  end.  On  the  26th  of  January,  however,  he  was 
summoned  to  Bragg's  headquarters  and  informed  that 
General  Wheeler  had  planned  the  capture  of  Fort  Don- 
elson,  and  was  already  en  route  with  part  of  the  For 
rest  brigade,  which  he  must  follow  and  command. 
Coming  up  with  the  expedition  after  two  days'  hard 
riding  he  found  his  troops  scantily  supplied  with  sub 
sistence  and  ammunition,  and  calling  upon  General 
Wheeler  caused  both  his  own  and  Wharton's  brigades 
to  be  inspected.  The  fact  was  revealed  that  both  bri 
gades  were  short  of  ammunition  and  cooking  utensils. 
There  were  only  fifteen  or  twenty  rounds  of  ammuni- 
96 


REPULSE   AT    DOVER.  97 

tion  for  small  arms  and  forty-five  or  fifty  for  the 
artillery. 

The  weather  was  bitterly  cold,  and  Forrest  protest 
ed  that  the  men  were  not  in  a  condition  to  make  the 
attack,  and  that  even  if  successful  in  taking  the  garri 
son  of  five  or  six  hundred  men,  the  place — one  hundred 
miles  from  the  base  of  supplies — could  not  be  held, 
while  the  Confederate  loss  would  necessarily  be  heavy. 
Therefore  he  urged  the  abandonment  of  the  enterprise. 
However,  it  was  too  late,  and  he  was  ordered  to  move 
on  Dover  by  way  of  the  Cumberland  Iron-works. 

Dover  was  now  the  fortified  place,  not  old  Fort 
Donelson.  Forrest's  force  consisted  of  a  portion  of  the 
Fourth  Tennessee,  Fourth  Alabama,  Cox's,  Napier's, 
and  Holmes's  battalions,  Woodward's  Kentuckians, 
and  four  guns — in  all  about  eight  hundred  men.  At 
the  iron-works,  nine  miles  from  Dover,  he  charged 
and  captured  a  company  of  Federal  cavalry,  except 
three  or  four  men  who  escaped  and  gave  the  alarm. 
The  entire  command  came  in  sight  of  Dover  about  12 
M.  on  the  3d  of  February.  Forrest  was  assigned  to  the 
right,  about  eight  hundred  yards  from  the  outer  rifle- 
pits  ;  Wharton's  brigade  was  placed  on  the  south  and 
southwest,  but  the  Eighth  Texas  was  detached  and 
sent  out  in  the  direction  of  Fort  Henry  to  guard  against 
an  attack  from  that  quarter.  A  demand  for  uncondi 
tional  surrender  was  sent  in  and  promptly  refused.  All 
arrangements  were  made  to  charge  at  half-past  two 
o'clock,  it  being  the  thought  and  really  the  only  hope 
that  the  works  could  be  successfully  carried  by  a  rush 
of  the  whole  line. 

About  two  o'clock  General  Forrest  observed  some 
small  detachments  of  Federal  infantry  coming  toward 
the  river,  and  thinking  that  they  were  abandoning  the 
place  he  ordered  a  charge.  This  was  a  double  mistake, 
for  the  movement,  in  fact,  was  only  a  change  of  posi- 


98  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

tion.  The  Federals  fled  back  to  the  main  works,  but 
Forrest  and  his  horsemen,  following  at  breakneck 
speed,  found  themselves  facing  a  murderous  fire  from 
small  arms  and  artillery,  and  were  compelled  to  hastily 
retreat.  Forrest's  horse  was  killed  under  him  and  his 
men  thought  their  leader  was  killed,  although  he  was 
unhurt  in  the  fall.  The  whole  line  was  soon  arranged 
for  another  attack  on  foot.  This  was  made  in  splendid 
but  reckless  style,  and  was  only  partially  successful ; 
again  Forrest  had  a  horse  killed  under  him,  and  in  the 
fall  he  was  seriously  hurt.  The  troops  secured  good 
positions,  but  could  not  carry  the  works,  and  their 
losses  were  very  heavy.  Ammunition  was  nearly  ex 
hausted,  and  the  firing  ceased.  The  Federals,  suspect 
ing  this,  sallied  out  and  captured  twenty-five  or  thirty 
Confederates. 

Wharton  was  more  successful  on  his  line,  driving 
the  Federals  from  a  strong  position,  and  capturing  a 
12-pounder  rifle-gun  and  killing  some  forty-eight  or 
fifty  horses  out  of  the  sixty-four  belonging  to  the 
battery.  The  garrison  was  driven  into  a  small  space, 
but  held  an  impregnable  position  against  troops  with 
out  ammunition.  The  assailants  held  on  with  scant 
protection  until  the  moon  rose  on  the  scene.  The  lead 
ers  could  do  nothing  but  withdraw.  A  detail  was  sent 
to  the  landing  near  the  fort  and  burned  a  boat  loaded 
with  supplies ;  others  gathered  up  such  of  the  wounded 
as  could  be  removed  on  horseback  or  in  wagons,  and 
brought  away  a  lot  of  captured  and  much-needed  blank 
ets.  The  12-pounder  gun  was  also  removed  with  a 
caisson  full  of  ammunition.  Federal  reenforcements 
were  coming  from  Fort  Henry,  but  did  not  arrive  in 
time  to  pursue  the  repulsed  Confederates.  The  com 
mander  of  the  fort  was  Colonel  A.  C.  Harding,  of  the 
Eighty-third  Illinois  Infantry,  who  had  a  force  of  about 
six  hundred  men  and  a  fine  battery.  He  handled  the 


REPULSE   AT    DOVER.  99 

troops  with  spirit  and  skill,  and  made  an  effective  de 
fense.  He  reported  thirteen  killed,  fifty-one  wounded, 
and  forty-six  prisoners. 

Forrest  lost  about  two  hundred  men  in  killed, 
wounded,  and  captured,  or  nearly  one-fourth  of  his 
command.  Colonel  Frank  McNairy  of  his  staff  was 
killed.  Colonel  W.  D.  Holman,  of  Napier's  battalion, 
was  wounded,  and  also  three  of  his  captains,  who  were 
captured.  Wharton's  command  lost  seventeen  killed, 
sixty  wounded,  and  eight  mi  sing — a  total  loss  to  the 
Confederates  of  two  hundred  and  eighty-five.  The 
Federal  commander,  Colonel  W.  W.  Lowe,  who  moved 
over  from  Fort  Henry,  reported  that  he  found  one  hun 
dred  and  thirty-five  Confederates  dead  and  held  fifty 
prisoners.  The  command  moved  slowly  away  soon 
after  dark,  and  some  gunboats  coming  up  opened  a 
furious  though  harmless  fire,  shelling  the  woods  in  the 
direction  the  Confederates  had  taken.  That  night  in  a 
cabin  by  the  roadside  three  or  four  miles  from  Dover, 
Generals  Wheeler,  Forrest,  and  Wharton  talked  over 
the  misfortunes  of  the  day.  Forrest  was  suffering  from 
his  fall,  and  was  in  a  tempestuous  state  of  mind.  He 
said  that  he  had  advised  against  the  movement,  but 
obeyed  orders.  General  Wheeler  addressed  him  in  his 
firm  but  courteous  manner,  and  stated  that  he  assumed 
the  blame  for  any  mistake  made.  This  only  aroused 
Forrest  the  more.  He  said :  "  General,  you  can  go  and 
tell  that  to  the  parents  and  wives  and  sisters  of  my 
brave  boys  who  fell  to-day,  but  I  will  tell  you  this  one 
thing  with  all  due  respect,  and  you  may  take  my  sword 
now  if  you  want  it :  I  will  go  into  my  coffin  before  I 
will  fight  under  you  again,  and  you  can  put  that  in  your 
report  to  General  Bragg." 

General  Wheeler  seemed  much  touched  and  told 
him  that  he  could  not  and  would  not  take  the  sword  of 
so  brave  a  man,  and  regretted  that  he  had  such  feeling. 


100  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

Captain  D.  E.  Myers,  a  Kentuckian,  and  now  (1902)  a 
well-known  lawyer  of  Memphis,  was  a  quiet  witness  of 
this  scene,  and  but  recently  related  it  at  more  length  to 
the  writer — and  it  is  a  fact  that  while  Forrest  and 
Wheeler  afterward  cooperated  with  each  other  on  op 
posite  flanks  of  the  army  in  great  engagements  and 
were  ever  good  friends  personally,  Forrest  kept  his 
word,  and  never  again  fought  under  orders  from 
Wheeler.  They  were  different  types  of  men,  of  differ 
ent  education  and  ideas,  each  one  great  in  his  own 
way  and  sphere. 

On  the  4th  the  little  army  began  the  return  to  Co 
lumbia,  but  made  a  wide  detour  by  way  of  Centreville, 
to  avoid  General  Jeff  C.  Davis  and  other  Federal  com 
manders  on  different  roads.  On  the  way  Major  G.  V. 
Rambaut,  a  favorite  staff-officer  with  General  Forrest, 
and  Colonel  Charles  M.  Carroll,  who  was  acting  as  aide, 
riding  ahead  with  a  small  detachment  lost  the  way  and 
rode  into  a  Federal  column  and  were  captured.  Ram 
baut  was  sent  to  join  Major  Strange  in  prison  at  Alton, 
111.,  and  was  exchanged  with  him  four  or  five  months 
later. 

Forrest  resumed  his  post  at  Columbia  on  the  I7th  of 
February  to  the  left  of  Bragg's  army,  while  General 
Wheeler,  with  Wharton's  brigade,  took  a  position  on 
the  right  flank.  In  this  month  Russell's  Fourth  Ala 
bama  was  detached  from  Forrest's  brigade,  and  its 
place  was  taken  by  the  Eleventh  Tennessee,  formed  by 
the  union  of  Holmes's  and  Douglass's  battalions,  while 
Cox's  and  Napier's  battalions  were  united  as  the  Tenth 
Tennessee  Cavalry.  The  skeleton  Confederate  regi 
ments  were  often  thus  consolidated,  especially  in  the 
last  two  years  of  the  war.  While  Forrest  was  still  giv 
ing  his  men  and  horses  a  little  rest  at  Columbia,  Major- 
General  Earl  Van  Dorn  arrived  from  Mississippi  with 
three  brigades  of  cavalry,  about  forty-five  hundred 


REPULSE   AT 

rank  and  file.  These  were  Frank  C.  Armstrong's,  with 
King's  battery,  four  guns ;  J.  W.  Whitfield's  and 
G.  B.  Cosby's  brigades.  The  Federals  had  strong 
forces  at  Franklin  and  Triune.  The  Confederates  were 
thrown  forward  across  Duck  River,  and  some  sharp 
skirmishing  occurred  for  the  next  ten  days. 

Shortly  after  this  the  battle  of  Thompsons  Station 
took  place,  in  which  General  Forrest,  surrounded  as  he 
was  on  his  own  side  and  confronted  on  the  other  by  as 
brave  men  as  ever  mounted  a  horse,  flashed  a  saber,  or 
looked  over  gleaming  carbine  or  cannon  from  either 
end,  retrieved  himself  from  the  sting  of  the  Dover 
affair.  As  early  as  the  iQth  of  February  he  advised 
General  Wheeler  that  a  movement  in  reconnaissance, 
and  in  good  shape  and  force,  might  be  expected  by 
the  Federals  coming  out  from  Franklin.  His  idea  was 
that  with  Van  Dorn's  command,  his  own,  Roddey's, 
and  Wharton's  converging  from  different  points,  the 
Federal  advance  could  be  destroyed.  His  foresight 
was  wonderfully  clear.  He  seemed  by  intuition  to  know 
what  the  enemy  would  or  should  do.  Hence,  when 
Major-General  Rosecrans,  a  methodical  and  sagacious 
commander,  began  to  make  arrangements  for  the  spring 
and  summer  campaign,  and  sent  a  strong  force  down 
the  pike  toward  Unionville  and  Duck  River,  Chapel 
and  Spring  Hill,  it  was  no  surprise  except  in  results. 

Van  Dorn,  advised  by  Forrest — who  was  always  at 
the  front — of  what  to  expect,  advanced  his  five  bri 
gades  in  all,  a  force  of  about  six  thousand  men  and 
twelve  pieces  of  artillery,  on  the  4th  of  March,  and  took 
a  position  near  Thompsons  Station — some  four  miles 
in  front  of  Spring  Hill.  Cosby's  brigade,  however,  was 
detained  at  Duck  River,  and  was  not  engaged  in  the 
battle  that  ensued.  Forrest,  with  about  two  thousand 
men,  was  placed  on  the  extreme  right.  General  W.  H. 
Jackson,  commanding  a  division  composed  of  Arm- 


10*2  -LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

strong's  and  Whitfield's  brigades  and  King's  battery, 
had  gone  ahead  of  the  other  troops  and  advanced  with 
in  four  miles  of  Franklin,  and  at  that  point  encountered 
a  Federal  column  of  nearly  three  thousand  troops, 
accompanied  by  the  Eighteenth  Ohio  Battery  of  six 
Rodman  rifled  guns.  Of  this  force,  six  hundred  were 
cavalry,  all  under  Colonel  John  Coburn,  of  the  Thirty- 
third  Indiana  Infantry.  His  command  of  infantry, 
cavalry,  and  artillery,  and  a  large  train  of  eighty  wag 
ons  made  a  splendid  appearance  on  the  pike,  and  Gen 
eral  Jackson  was  content  to  indulge  in  an  artillery  duel 
for  two  hours.  Finally,  the  Federal  commander,  al 
though  fearing  that  he  was  outnumbered,  made  a  dash 
with  his  cavalry,  and  the  Confederates  fell  back  to  the 
vicinity  of  Thompsons  Station  on  the  Alabama  and 
Tennessee  Railroad.  Here  the  rest  of  Van  Dorn's 
troops  came  up  and  formed  in  line  about  dark.  The 
Federals  advanced,  and  the  two  lines  slept  not  far  apart 
that  night.  Colonel  Coburn  was  in  such  a  position 
that  there  was  nothing  for  him  to  do  but  fight. 

General  Van  Dorn  gave  him  abundant  opportunity 
early  in  the  morning  of  the  5th  of  March.  Coburn  sent 
back  half  his  surplus  baggage  with  forty  of  his  wag 
ons  and  faced  the  situation  like  a  brave  man.  Forrest, 
as  stated,  was  far  over  on  the  right  with  about  two 
thousand  men  and  Freeman's  battery  of  six  guns  and 
was  eager  for  a  fight,  for  he  knew  he  had  a  fighting 
chance.  It  was  nearly  ten  o'clock  before  the  heroic 
Coburn  advanced  within  fighting  range.  He  had  good 
reason  to  be  cautious.  The  Thirty-third  and  Eighty- 
fifth  Indiana,  with  two  guns,  formed  the  right,  and  the 
Twenty-third  Wisconsin  and  Nineteenth  Michigan  the 
left  wing.  Farther  to  his  left  dismounted  cavalry  occu 
pied  a  thicket  of  cedars  on  the  crest  of  a  ridge,  and  back 
of  that  the  cavalry  reserve,  under  Colonel  Thomas  J. 
Jordan ;  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Ohio 


REPULSE   AT    DOVER.  IO3 

was  also  in  reserve  with  the  train.  A  general  charge 
of  all  arms  was  made,  and  the  artillery  fire  was  rapid 
and  effective.  King's  battery  was  charged  by  infantry, 
but  well  defended  by  Whitfield's  brigade  and  Earle's 
Third  Arkansas  regiment  behind  a  stone  fence.  As  the 
Federal  cavalry  was  repulsed  Forrest  threw  Freeman's 
battery  to  the  front,  swept  the  advancing  infantry,  and 
drove  the  battery  from  the  field.  Colonel  Starnes  with 
his  two  regiments  was  detached  and  sent  to  the  right, 
while  he,  with  the  remainder  of  his  command,  moved 
still  farther  around  to  the  right  and  rear  to  cut  off  the 
Federal  retreat  toward  Franklin.  The  Federals,  forced 
back  by  Starnes,  made  a  stubborn  stand  behind  a  stone 
fence,  and  Forrest  made  two  charges  before  they  sur 
rendered  and  were  sent  to  the  rear. 

In  this  affair  the  general  again,  and  as  usual,  had  a 
horse  shot  under  him.  Swinging  around  still  farther 
he  charged  up  a  steep  hillside  and  faced  a  severe  fire 
from  infantry.  This  was  the  final  charge  of  the  day, 
and  in  it  Captain  Montgomery  Little,  of  the  escort,  fell 
mortally  wounded  by  Forrest's  side,  and  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Edward  Buller  Trezevant,  of  the  Fifth  Ten 
nessee  Cavalry,  was  killed.  But  the  charge  was  suc 
cessful.  Colonel  Coburn,  beaten  back  and  abandoned 
by  many  of  his  command,  surrendered  to  General  For 
rest  in  person  with  a  force  of  nearly  fifteen  hundred 
officers  and  men.  With  him  were  also  surrendered 
Colonel  Gilbert  and  Major  W.  R.  Shafter,  who,  as  com- 
mander-in-chief  of  the  United  States  forces,  aided  by 
General  Wheeler,  led  the  command  against  the  Span 
ish  army  at  Santiago,  Cuba,  in  1898.  Forrest,  who  al 
ways  appreciated  gallantry  in  his  opponents,  permitted 
the  officers  to  retain  their  horses  and  side-arms.* 

As  soon  as  Colonel   Coburn  surrendered   Forrest 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxiii,  part  i,  p.  84. 
8 


104  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

sent  a  detachment  after  the  Twenty-fourth  Ohio  In 
fantry  and  the  wagons,  but  only  succeeded  in  capturing 
seventy-five  men,  and  nearly  all  these  had  been  in  the 
thick  of  the  fight.  The  Ohio  regiment  escaped  as  a 
unit,  and  was  afterward  denounced  by  Colonel  Coburn. 
The  Federal  cavalry  lost  twenty-seven  men  and  their 
artillery,  and  had  one  man  slightly  wounded.  In  the 
final  charge  Forrest  was  on  foot,  and  had  about  six 
teen  hundred  of  his  men  in  the  field.  His  losses  were 
nine  killed,  fifty-eight  wounded,  and  two  missing — 
total,  sixty-nine.  Cosby's  brigade  was  only  partially 
engaged,  and  had  only  three  wounded.  Whitfield  lost 
twenty-five  killed,  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  wound 
ed,  and  ten  missing — total,  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
two  out  of  fourteen  hundred  men  on  the  field.  Arm 
strong's  losses  were  killed  seventeen,  wounded  ninety- 
one — total,  one  hundred  and  eight  out  of  nearly  one 
thousand  men  in  action.  Both  these  brigades  were 
heavily  engaged,  and  at  one  time  Armstrong's  entire 
brigade  was  thrown  to  the  left  to  the  relief  of  Whit- 
field,  who  was  being  pressed,  and  together  they  charged 
as  infantry,  and  drove  the  Federals  from  a  strong  posi 
tion. 

It  was  while  this  heavy  fighting  was  going  on  that 
Forrest  swung  around  to  the  rear,  and  by  the  last  grand 
charge  of  the  day  made  certain  the  capture  of  four  regi 
ments,  numbering,  officers  and  men,  thirteen  hundred. 
The  Federal  losses  appeared  to  be  eighty-eight  killed 
and  two  hundred  and  six  wounded — total,  two  hundred 
and  ninety-four.  Total  loss — killed,  wounded,  and 
captured — nearly  sixteen  hundred  out  of  two  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  thirty-seven,  according  to  Colo 
nel  Coburn's  report.  A  Confederate  correspondent, 
who  was  on  the  field  and  reported  the  battle  next  day, 
claimed  that  twenty-two  hundred  prisoners  were  taken, 
which  is  probably  more  nearly  correct.  Reports  of 


REPULSE   AT    DOVER.  IO5 

such  events  are  liable  to  be  conflicting  even  when  made 
officially.  The  Confederates  had  to  mourn  the  loss  of 
some  good  men  and  officers.  Colonel  Samuel  G.  Earle, 
of  the  Third  Arkansas  Cavalry,  was  killed  leading  a 
charge;  also  Captain  Alfred  Dysart,  of  the  Fourth 
Tennessee,  and  Captain  William  Watson,  of  General 
Armstrong's  staff.  Rev.  Stephen  D.  Crouch,  of  Jack 
son's  brigade,  was  among  the  slain,  and  Lieutenant 
John  Johnson,  of  the  Ninth  Tennessee,  was  killed  while 
carrying  the  flag  of  the  regiment.  These  and  other 
losses  were  keenly  felt  even  in  the  hour  of  victory. 

General  Van  Dorn,  with  the  prisoners  and  prop 
erty  captured,  withdrew  on  the  5th  to  Spring  Hill,  leav 
ing  a  line  of  pickets  near  Franklin,  and  soon  after  fell 
back  to  Columbia.  Forrest  was  sent  north  of  Duck 
River  on  the  nth  with  two  brigades  to  hold  in  check 
a  force  of  cavalry  and  infantry  reported  to  be  advan 
cing  under  General  Phil  Sheridan,  and  was  ordered  to 
cover  the  withdrawal  of  troops  on  picket  duty  near 
Thompsons  Station.  The  river  was  very  high,  and 
the  crossing  accomplished  with  difficulty  after  some 
sharp  skirmishing.  On  the  I5th  Forrest  again  occu 
pied  Spring  Hill,  and  on  the  25th,  with  a  limited  force, 
captured  Brentwood  with  five  hundred  and  twenty- 
one  men  and  officers  of  the  Twenty-second  Wisconsin, 
under  command  of  Colonel  Bloodgood,  taking  stores, 
tents,  etc. ;  and  also  captured  and  destroyed  the  Har- 
peth  Bridge  and  stockade  with  two  hundred  and  fifty 
officers  and  men  of  the  Twenty-second  Michigan  In 
fantry.  Forrest  had  with  him  only  his  escort  of  sixty, 
the  Fourth  Mississippi,  Tenth  and  Sixth  Tennessee 
regiments,  and  two  guns,  all  told  about  one  thousand 
men. 

On  the  return  the  Second  Michigan  Cavalry  dashed 
into  the  rear  of  the  Tenth  Tennessee,  which  stampeded, 
and  was  soon  in  front  of  the  column,  losing  one  killed, 


IO6  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

three  wounded,  and  nineteen  captured.  Forrest  was 
near  the  front,  and  after  a  desperate  effort  succeeded 
in  checking  his  panic-stricken  troopers,  but  not  until 
the  Michiganders  had  recaptured  several  of  the  wag 
ons  loaded  with  stores.  Forrest  and  Starnes  retook 
some  of  these  wagons,  drove  back  the  Federals  some 
distance,  and  then  continued  their  march  to  the  rear 
without  losing  a  prisoner.  The  Confederate  loss  was 
one  officer  and  three  men  killed,  thirteen  men  wounded, 
and  thirty-nine  missing.  The  Federal  loss  was  four 
killed,  nineteen  wounded,  and  four  missing  in  the  cav 
alry,  and  seven  hundred  and  fifty  men  and  officers  taken 
at  Brentwood  and  at  Harpeth  Bridge. 

General  Bragg  on  March  3ist  announced  to  the 
army  the  engagements  at  Thompsons  Station  and 
Brentwood  in  most  complimentary  terms,  stating  that 
twelve  hundred  and  twenty-one  prisoners,  including 
seventy-three  commissioned  officers,  were  taken  at  the 
former'  place,  and  seven  hundred  and  fifty  men  and 
thirty-five  officers  at  the  latter,  and  especially  men 
tioned  Major-General  Van  Dorn  and  Brigadier-Gen 
eral  Forrest,  saying  that :  "  The  skilful  manner  in 
which  these  generals  achieved  such  success  exhibits 
clearly  the  judgment,  discipline,  and  good  conduct  of 
the  brave  troops  of  their  command,"  etc.,  a  compli 
ment  from  General  Bragg,  the  rugged  martinet,  which 
must  have  been  greatly  enjoyed  by  the  more  rugged 
volunteer  General  Forrest.  Van  Dorn  was  a  West- 
Pointer,  an  experienced  and  accomplished  officer  of 
the  regular  army,  and  was  in  line  for  further  promotion 
and  honors,  although  he  was  sensitive  on  account  of  the 
praise  accorded  Forrest  by  the  Southern  press  and 
people  at  large.  This  latter  fact  brought  about  some 
feeling  between  the  two  generals. 

Some  writer  in  the  Chattanooga  Rebel  gave  For 
rest  credit  for  the  success  at  Thompsons  Station  and 


Map  of  the  campaign   of  the  early  part  of  1863. 


REPULSE   AT    DOVER.  IO/ 

Brentwood,  and  Van  Dorn,  in  a  personal  interview, 
attributed  the  authorship  to  a  member  of  Forrest's 
staff.  General  Forrest  denied  any  knowledge  of  the 
matter  in  his  usual  vigorous  style  of  expression,  and 
Van  Dorn  accepted  the  statement  with  all  the  dignity 
and  courtesy  of  the  chevalier  that  he  was.  Forrest 
offered  his  hand,  saying,  "  We  have  enough  to  do 
righting  the  enemies  of  our  country  without  fighting 
each  other." 

Forrest  continued  in  command  of  scouting  parties 
and  on  outpost  duties  until  about  April  Qth.  General 
Van  Dorn,  on  the  loth,  sent  two  divisions  under  Gen 
erals  W.  H.  Jackson  and  Forrest,  thirty-one  hundred 
strong,  besides  Freeman's  battery,  apparently  to  attack 
Franklin,  commanded  by  General  Gordon  Granger,  an 
old-time  fighter  of  the  regular  army.  This  was  perhaps 
a  mere  diversion  in  favor  of  Bragg's  right  wing  at 
Tullahoma.  Granger  was  strongly  fortified,  and  had 
twice  the  force  of  Van  Dorn.  Besides  that,  Stanley 
straggled  in,  so  to  speak,  unexpectedly  with  his  brigade 
of  sixteen  hundred,  having  disobeyed  instructions  and 
come  in  conflict  with  Starnes's  brigade  and  Freeman's 
battery  some  two  miles  in  the  rear  of  Armstrong.  The 
battery  was  taken  by  surprise  in  the  flank,  and  Captain 
Freeman  was  captured  with  his  guns  and  thirty-six 
men,  the  flanks  having  been  left  unguarded.  Colonel 
Starnes  came  to  the  rescue  and  recaptured  the  guns, 
but  in  the  rush  to  get  the  prisoners  away  a  member 
of  the  Fourth  Regular  Cavalry  shot  Captain  Freeman 
dead  because  he  was  so  exhausted  as  to  slacken  his 
gait.  This  incident  produced  a  painful  and  shocking 
impression  among  the  Confederates.  General  Forrest 
was  stricken  with  grief,  and  some  of  his  men  carried 
a  feeling  of  deadly  resentment  to  the  end  of  the  war. 
Captain  Freeman  was  greatly  esteemed  and  beloved  as 
an  officer  and  a  Christian  gentleman.  Forrest  and 


108  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

Lieutenant  Douglass  joined  in  an  assault  upon  Stan 
ley's  troopers,  driving  them  across  the  Harpeth  River, 
and  at  dark  the  command  returned  to  Spring  Hill. 

In  this  fight  Stanley  lost  six  killed,  nineteen 
wounded,  and  seventeen  missing  and  prisoners ;  total 
forty-two.  Armstrong's  brigade  (Confederate),  one 
killed,  eleven  wounded,  two  missing;  Starnes's,  three 
killed,  sixteen  wounded,  and  two  missing;  Forrest's 
escort,  four  wounded;  Freeman's  battery,  one  killed, 
one  wounded,  and  twenty-nine  prisoners;  total,  sev 
enty.  The  Confederate  cavalry  now  enjoyed  a  brief 
respite,  only  to  enter  upon  more  active  service. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
STREIGHT'S  EXPEDITION  OVERTAKEN  AND  CAPTURED. 

IN  the  early  part  of  the  war  such  cavalry  leaders 
as  Forrest  and  Wheeler,  John  Morgan,  Mosby,  and 
J.  E.  B.  Stuart,  and  their  men,  fighting  mostly  upon 
their  own  ground,  seemed  to  have  the  advantage  in 
horsemanship,  in  alertness,  dash,  and  in  the  use  of 
sabers,  shotguns,  and  pistols.  But  as  they  began  to 
wear  out  and  exhaust  their  resources,  and  possibly 
some  of  their  earlier  enthusiasm,  they  realized  that 
their  opponents  were  possessed  not  only  of  courage, 
but  training,  method,  and  great  powers  of  endurance. 
Sheridan  and  Wilder  and  Wilson  and  Kilpatrick  be 
came  famous  as  hard  riders  and  fighters,  and  there 
were  hundreds  of  others  on  the  Union  side  not  less 
worthy  of  mention.  Among  those  who  sought  and 
made  a  place  in  history,  even  though  he  went  down  in 
defeat,  was  Colonel  Abel  D.  Streight,  of  Indiana.  It 
became  known  that  General  Rosecrans  was  anxious 
to  find  a  leader  who  would  undertake  to  cut  the  rail 
road  lines  of  the  Confederacy,  and  destroy  bridges, 
arsenals,  foundries,  and  other  Government  works  in 
Bragg's  rear,  and  thus  strike  a  blow  at  his  base  of  sup 
plies.  Colonel  Streight  presented  himself  with  a  well- 
defined  plan  which  was  at  once  accepted.  He  was  a 
courageous,  stalwart  man,  and  proposed  to  carry  the 
war  into  the  heart  of  the  Confederacy.  Bragg  had 
fallen  back  to  Tullahoma,  where  his  army  spent  part  of 

109 


HO  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

the  winter  of  1865,  and  was  not  able  to  take  the 
aggressive.  Chattanooga  was  a  strategic  point — the 
gateway  to  the  Southern  country.  Colonel  Streight's 
idea  of  making  a  raid  was  somewhat  after  Forrest's 
methods.  Rome,  Ga.,  only  a  few  miles  from  Kingston, 
on  the  Western  and  Atlantic  Railroad,  a  trunk  line 
connecting  Atlanta  with  Chattanooga  and  with  the 
railroad  system  on  to  Knoxville  and  Virginia,  was 
selected  as  the  objective  point.  Rome  was  connected 
with  Kingston  by  a  branch  line  and  was  the  seat  of 
important  works. 

Colonel  Streight  was  allowed  to  select  his  force,  to 
be  mounted  on  mules,  take  his  own  way,  and  start  at 
will.  This  seemed  a  brilliant  scheme  and  opportunity 
for  the  gallant  colonel.  He  chose  as  his  command  his 
own  regiment,  the  Fifty-first  Indiana ;  the  Seventy- 
third  Indiana,  Colonel  Gilbert  Hathaway ;  the  Third 
Ohio,  Colonel  Orris  A.  Lawson ;  the  Eighth  Illinois, 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Andrew  F.  Rodgers,  all  infantry ; 
and  two  companies  of  Union  Alabama  cavalry  under 
Captain  D.  D.  Smith.  The  entire  force,  officers  and 
men,  was  about  two  thousand  strong.  The  Alabamians 
were  from  a  part  of  the  country  to  be  invaded,  and 
were  useful  as  guides.  This  command  left  Nashville 
on  eight  small  steamers  on  the  loth  of  April,  dropped 
down  the  Cumberland  River  to  Palmyra,  and  from 
there  marched  across  to  Fort  Henry  on  the  Tennessee 
River,  and,  not  being  entirely  supplied  with  mules, 
gathered  up  such  others  as  could  be  found  on  the  way. 
On  the  1 7th,  the  command  was  reembarked  on  the 
boats  which  had  been  sent  around  through  the  Ohio 
and  up  the  Tennessee  rivers.  Two  gunboats,  with  a 
brigade  of  marines  under  General  Ellett,  were  added 
as  an  escort  to  the  transports,  and  on  the  I9th  this 
formidable  expedition  reached  Eastport,  Miss.  Colonel 
Streight  reported  at  Bear  Creek,  twelve  miles  distant, 


STREIGHT'S   EXPEDITION   CAPTURED.          Ill 

to  General  Grenville  M.  Dodge,  who  was  in  command 
of  the  infantry  and  cavalry,  eight  thousand  strong,* 
and  had  instructions  to  facilitate  the  proposed  move 
ment  by  every  available  means. 

Dodge  had  already  skirmished  sharply  with  Gen 
eral  P.  D.  Roddey's  small  brigade  of  cavalry,  and 
telegraphed  to  Corinth  for  Fulton's  brigade,  two 
thousand  strong,  and  another  battery,  thus  increasing 
his  force  to  some  ten  thousand  men.  He  was  to  keep 
up  a  bold  front,  and  Streight  started  across  the  country 
without  delay.  The  movement  had  been  conducted 
as  secretly  as  possible  and  at  greater  speed  than  scouts 
or  spies  could  travel.  It  was  unfortunate  for  Colonel 
Streight  that  he  had  decided  to  use  mules  instead  of 
horses  for  his  mounted  infantry.  The  first  night  at 
Eastport  these  animals  gave  vent  to  a  chorus  of  brays 
that  startled  the  country  for  miles  around.  Some  of 
Roddey's  men  slipped  into  the  corral  and  stampeded 
about  four  hundred  of  them,  and  Colonel  Streight,  in 
his  report,  says  it  took  two  days  to  recover  two  hun 
dred,  and  more  time  at  Tuscumbia  to  supply  the  place 
of  the  others.  This  caused  a  serious  delay,  and  gave 
Forrest  time  to  reach  the  neighborhood.  So  if  it  is  true 
that  ancient  Rome  was  once  saved  by  the  cackling  of 
geese,  it  can  be  as  well  authenticated  that  a  modern 
Rome  was  saved  by  the  braying  of  mules. 

Colonel  Streight  moved  out  of  Eastport,  April  1st, 
and  joining  General  Dodge  in  a  movement  against 
Tuscumbia  brought  up  the  rear.  General  Roddey 
was  out  on  the  front  offering  a  stubborn  resistance, 
and  it  took  two  or  three  days  to  reach  the  place.  There 
the  raiding  command  was  carefully  inspected,  and  men 
not  fit  for  the  expedition  were  left  behind.  This  re 
duced  Streight's  force,  as  he  states,  to  about  fifteen 

*  Rebellion  Records,  series  i,  vol.  xxiii,  p.  286. 


112  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

hundred  effective  men,  but  they  had  nearly  all  seen 
hard  service  and  were  splendidly  armed  and  equipped. 
Meantime  Forrest  had  been  ordered  by  General 
Bragg  to  make  a  forced  march  from  Spring  Hill, 
Tenn.,  to  Decatur,  Ala.,  to  aid  Roddey  in  checking 
the  Federal  advance,  for  the  real  nature  of  the  move 
ment  was  not  then  known  to  the  Confederates  or  even 
suspected.  It  might  be  a  reconnaissance  in  force  or 
with  the  more  serious  design  of  forcing  Bragg  back 
on  or  beyond  Chattanooga,  as  was  eventually  effected. 
Forrest  disposed  of  his  forces  to  advantage :  Edmond- 
son's  Eleventh  Tennessee  was  ordered  to  cross  the 
Tennessee  River  at  Bainbridge,  a  few  miles  above 
Florence,  and  Forrest,  with  the  Fourth,  Ninth,  and 
Tenth  Tennessee,  and  Morton's  battery  crossed  at 
Browns  Ferry,  on  the  26th,  near  Courtland,  but  left 
Dibbrell  with  the  Eighth  Tennessee  and  one  gun  on  the 
north  side  to  patrol  the  river  in  the  direction  of  Flor 
ence,  and  thus  create,  if  possible,  a  diversion.  Forrest 
and  Roddey  fought  and  fell  back  across  Town  Creek. 
On  the  27th  Dodge  learned  that  Forrest  was  in  his 
front,  succeeded  in  crossing  the  creek,  and  the  Con 
federates  retired  toward  Courtland.  Streight  was  al 
ready  well  under  way  on  the  road  to  Rome.  Under 
cover  of  all  this  fighting,  which  had  no  other  object, 
he  quietly  left  Tuscumbia  on  the  night  of  the  26th. 
Rain  was  pouring  down,  the  roads  were  muddy,  and 
progress  was  made  slowly,  but  everything  was  favor 
able  to  a  quiet  start.  By  ten  o'clock  next  morning, 
the  27th,  the  command  fed  at  Russellville,  eighteen 
miles  from  Tuscumbia,  and  at  sunset  went  into  camp 
at  Mount  Hope,  thirty-eight  miles  from  the  starting- 
point.  Here  a  message  was  received  from  Dodge  giv 
ing  assurance  that  he  had  Forrest  on  the  run,  and 
directing  Streight  to  push  on,  which  he  did,  reaching 
the  village  of  Moulton  on  the  afternoon  of  the  28th. 


STREIGHT'S   EXPEDITION   CAPTURED.          113 

No  enemy  had  been  met  or  heard  of.  Next  morning 
the  lightning  brigade  resumed  its  march,  taking  the 
road  east  toward  Blountville. 

It  was  not  until  the  evening  of  the  28th  that  For 
rest  received  a  report  through  a  citizen  from  Tuscum- 
bia  that  a  body  of  mounted  Union  troops,  some  two 
thousand  strong,  had  passed  through  Mount  Hope  in 
the  direction  of  Moulton.  He  saw  through  it  all  in  an 
instant,  and  formed  his  plans  accordingly.  Certain 
troops  were  ordered  to  occupy  the  attention  of  General 
Dodge  and  at  least  prevent  pursuit ;  Dibbrell  was 
directed  through  a  courier  to  attack  Dodge's  outposts 
at  Florence,  use  his  artillery  freely,  and  make  as  great 
display  of  force  as  possible ;  Roddey  was  to  take  his 
Alabama  regiment,  Edmondson's  Eleventh  Tennessee, 
and  Julian's  battalion,  throw  these  troops  between 
Dodge  and  Streight,  and  follow  the  raiders.  The 
assignments  were  quickly  made,  and  Forrest  himself 
looked  after  the  details.  Like  Colonel  Streight  he 
picked  his  men  and  artillery,  saw  that  the  horses  were 
shod  and  ammunition  properly  distributed.  Three 
days'  rations  were  cooked  for  the  men,  and  two  days' 
rations  of  corn  issued  for  the  horses.  Forrest  selected 
as  his  immediate  command  Starnes's  and  Biffle's  regi 
ments,  two  pieces  of  John  W.  Morton's  battery,  and 
Ferrell's  battery  of  six  pieces  which  had  been  with 
General  Roddey. 

At  one  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  29th,  Forrest 
moved  out  of  Courtland,  about  the  same  hour  that 
Streight  was  making  his  start  for  the  day.  The  Con 
federate  leader  and  his  men  rode  along  doggedly 
through  the  rain  and  mud  until  eight  o'clock,  when  an 
hour  was  taken  to  feed  and  rest.  Moulton  was  reached 
by  noon,  and  then  another  hour  was  given  to  take  off 
saddles  and  feed.  Forrest  knew  by  this  time  that 
Streight  had  about  fifteen  hundred  men,  most  of  them 


114  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

well  trained  and  as  hard  fighters  as  the  West  ever 
produced.  His  own  command  was  only  twelve  hun 
dred  strong,  but  composed  of  veterans  who  had  been 
with  him  in  many  battles  and  would  follow  him  into 
the  jaws  of  death.  The  ride  was  resumed  early  in 
the  afternoon  at  a  brisk  gait,  and  by  midnight  the  ad 
vance  was  within  four  miles  of  Days  Gap,  a  notch 
in  Sand  Mountain  reached  from  the  valley  below  by 
a  narrow,  stony,  winding  road.  There  the  men  in  the 
lead  were  allowed  to  lie  down  and  were  soon  asleep, 
and  by  daylight  the  column  had  closed  up.  Captain 
William  Forrest  and  his  scouts,  however,  advanced 
cautiously  and  captured  a  vidette  without  giving  an 
alarm.  Streight's  camp-fires  were  located,  but  nothing 
was  done  that  night.  At  dawn  on  the  3Oth  he  was 
on  the  move  with  his  command  well  up  the  mountain. 
The  rear-guard  had  not  left  the  fires  when  the  boom 
of  a  cannon  gave  notice  that  an  enemy  was  in  pursuit. 
The  column  filed  up  the  zigzag  road,  and  Captain  For 
rest  was  close  behind  with  his  yelling  troopers. 

General  Forrest  was  on  the  move  as  early  as 
Straight,  and  ordered  Biffle's  and  Starnes's  regiments 
to  make  a  flank  movement  through  another  pass.  Colo 
nel  Streight  anticipated  this,  and  hurried  on  to  a 
point  where  he  could  make  a  stand  at  a  well-chosen 
place  three  miles  from  the  Gap.  He  was  closely  pur 
sued  by  Forrest's  scouts,  and  the  advance  of  Edmoncl- 
son's  and  Roddey's  regiments  and  Julian's  battalion. 
The  mountain  plateau  is  quite  broken  and  well  adapted 
to  defensive  purposes.  Streight  selected  a  strong  posi 
tion  on  a  ridge  circling  to  the  rear  and  not  easily 
flanked,  as  on  the  right  there  was  a  precipitous  ravine 
and  on  the  left  an  almost  impassable  marsh.  The  com 
mand  was  formed  in  ambuscade  with  two  1 2-pound 
howitzers  in  the  center,  but  concealed.  Presently 
Captain  Forrest  drove  in  Captain  Smith's  rear-guard, 


* 

STREIGHTS   EXPEDITION   CAPTURED.  11$ 

and  when  once  within  the  trap  a  whole  line  rose  up 
and  delivered  a  volley  at  short  range.  Captain  For 
rest  fell  with  a  crushed  thigh-bone  from  a  Minie  ball, 
and  many  of  his  men  and  horses  were  killed  and 
wounded  before  the  others  could  be  withdrawn.  For 
rest  had  only  about  one  thousand  men  on  the  mountain 
after  the  long  ride  from  Courtland,  the  forced  march 
from  Spring  Hill,  and  subsequent  fighting  which 
weakened  his  force. 

Those  who  reached  the  bivouac  late  the  night  be 
fore  were  still  resting  themselves  or  grooming  their 
horses  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  Two  of  Morton's 
guns  came  up,  and  four  from  Ferrell's  battery,  and 
opened  fire  on  the  Federal  position,  though  not  effect 
ively.  Edmondson's  men  were  dismounted  and 
thrown  into  line;  Roddey  and  Julian,  mounted,  were 
deployed  to  the  right,  while  Forrest's  escort  and  the 
scouts  were  placed  on  the  left.  The  movement  was 
made  precipitately  and  not  in  concert.  Edmondson 
advanced  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the  Federal  line; 
Roddey  and  Julian  recklessly  rode  ahead  of  Edmond 
son's  regiment,  and  in  an  instant  nearly  the  whole 
line  was  exposed  to  a  murderous  fire  and  was  soon 
driven  back  in  confusion,  except  that  Edmondson  and 
the  scouts  fell  back  in  fairly  good  order.  Colonel 
Streight  took  advantage  of  the  movement  and  ad 
vanced  on  a  charge  which  was  quite  effective. 

The  Confederates  were  driven  back  over  their  own 
guns,  and  obliged  to  leave  two  of  them  with  caissons 
and  ammunition.  Some  of  the  horses  were  killed  and 
others  hopelessly  entangled  in  chains,  harness,  and 
bushes.  This  ended  the  fight  for  the  day  at  that 
place.  It  began  at  six  and  ceased  at  eleven  o'clock. 
The  losses  were  considerable  on  both  sides.  Forrest 
claimed  to  have  found  fifty  or  seventy-five  Federal 
dead  and  wounded  on  the  field;  while  Streight  in  his 


Il6  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

report  claims  to  have  taken  about  forty  prisoners  and 
found  a  large  number  of  wounded  and  about  thirty 
Confederate  dead  on  the  field.  The  Federals  lost 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Sheets,  Fifty-first  Indiana,  mor 
tally  wounded,  and  Lieutenant  Pavey,  Eighteenth  Illi 
nois,  of  Colonel  Streight's  staff,  seriously  wounded. 
In  a  field  hospital  were  found  about  seventy-five  of  the 
Federal  dead  and  wounded,  and  thirty  Confederates. 

Forrest  was  enraged  at  the  loss  of  his  two  guns 
from  Ferrell's  battery,  and  never  forgave  the  young 
lieutenant  in  charge.  He  made  the  air  blue  with  his 
"  remarks,"  and  bewailed  the  absence  of  Starnes's  and 
Biffle's  regiments,  but  they  were  off  on  a  flank  move 
ment  and  not  within  call.  Summoning  all  his  energy 
and  drawing  his  saber  he  ordered  every  man  to  dis 
mount  and  hitch  his  horse  to  a  sapling — there  were  to 
be  no  horse-holders.  Those  guns  had  to  be  retaken 
or  all  perish  in  the  attempt ;  without  the  guns  they 
would  have  no  more  use  for  horses.  Soon  after  eleven 
o'clock  he  moved  forward  to  attack  the  same  position, 
and  was  surprised  to  find  only  a  small  rear-guard, 
which  fired  a  few  shots  and  then  fled  on  mule-back. 
The  main  command  had  taken  the  road  to  Blounts- 
ville,  carrying  the  two  captured  pieces.  It  took  the 
Confederates  nearly  an  hour  to  go  back,  unhitch  their 
horses  from  the  saplings,  and  form  in  column  ready 
to  resume  the  march. 

The  policy  of  these  two  bold  spirits  was  now  well 
defined.  Streight  was  resolved  to  keep  his  command 
well  in  hand  and  ride  on  to  some  point  where  he  could 
burn  railroad  bridges  and  destroy  Confederate  Govern 
ment  property.  Forrest's  was  to  run  him  down  day 
and  night,  and  his  orders  were  to  shoot  at  anything 
blue,  and  keep  up  the  scare.  His  only  dread  was  that 
Streight  might  switch  off  and  make  a  detour  back  to 
the  Tennessee  River.  Riding  on  rapidly  Forrest  was 


STREIGHT'S   EXPEDITION    CAPTURED.  I  I/ 

delighted  to  see  Biffle's  and  Starnes's  regiments  (the 
latter  commanded  by  Major  McLemore  in  the  absence 
of  Colonel  Starnes,  caused  by  illness)  coming  in  on 
the  left  from  their  long  ride  around  Days  Gap.  Colo 
nel  Roddey  could  now  be  spared.  His  regiment  and 
Julian's  battalion  were  ordered  to  return  to  the  front 
of  General  Dodge,  and  Edmondson's  regiment,  the 
Eleventh  Tennessee,  accompanied  by  Major  C.  W.  An 
derson  of  the  staff,  was  ordered  to  march  on  the  left 
toward  Somerville  and  keep  in  a  line  parallel  with 
Streight  to  prevent  an  escape  in  that  direction.  For 
rest  retained  for  the  rest  of  this  running  fight  only  his 
escort  and  Forrest's  scouts  and  Biffie's  and  Starnes's 
regiments.  This  selection,  with  a  larger  force  at  his 
command,  showed  how  certain  he  was  of  winning  the 
fight. 

The  advance  of  the  Fourth  Tennessee  overtook 
Streight's  rear-guard  at  Crooked  Creek,  about  ten 
miles  south  of  Days  Gap,  in  the  afternoon,  and  sharp 
skirmishing  began  at  once.  Colonel  Streight  said  in 
his  report :  "  The  enemy  pressed  our  rear  so  hard  that 
I  was  compelled  to  prepare  for  battle.  I  selected  a 
strong  position  about  one  mile  south  of  the  crossing  of 
the  creek  on  a  ridge  called  Hog  Mountain.  The  whole 
force  soon  became  engaged.  About  an  hour  before 
dark  the  enemy  charged  right  and  left,  but  with  the 
help  of  the  two  pieces  of  artillery  captured  in  the 
morning,  and  the  two  mountain  howitzers,  we  were 
able  to  repulse  them.  .  .  .  About  10  P.  M.  the 
enemy  were  driven  from  our  front,  leaving  a  large 
number  of  dead  and  wounded  on  the  field  .  .  .  and 
as  soon  as  possible  we  moved  out.  The  ammunition 
which  we  had  captured  with  the  two  guns  was  ex 
hausted,  and  being  very  short  of  horses  I  ordered  the 
guns  spiked  and  the  carriages  destroyed.  .  .  .  We 
had  but  fairly  got  under  way  when  I  received  informa- 


Il8  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

tion  of  the  enemy's  advance.  In  one  of  these  thickets 
I  placed  the  Seventy-third  Indiana.  The  enemy  ap 
proached.  The  head  of  the  column  passed  without 
discovering  our  position.  The  whole  regiment  opened 
a  destructive  fire,  causing  a  complete  stampede  of  the 
enemy.  .  .  .  We  were  not  again  disturbed  until  we 
had  marched  several  miles,  when  they  attacked  our 
rear-guard  vigorously.  I  again  succeeded  in  ambus 
cading  them,  which  caused  them  to  give  up  the  posi 
tion  for  the  night.  We  reached  Blountsville,  forty 
miles  from  Days  Gap,  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morn 
ing.  Many  of  our  mules  had  given  out,  leaving  their 
riders  on  foot,  but  there  was  very  little  straggling  be 
hind  the  rear-guard." 

The  losses  of  the  Federals  were  greater  than  those 
of  the  Confederates  in  that  evening  fight.  The  latter 
lost  only  a  few  killed  and  wounded,  but  claimed  to 
find  some  fifty  Federals  killed  or  wounded  on  the 
field ;  also  captured  some  thirty  wagons  and  teams 
scattered  through  the  woods.  The  lines  were  very 
close  together.  General  Forrest  was  seen  everywhere 
moving  among  his  men.  He  escaped  unhurt,  but  had 
one  horse  killed  and  two  wounded  under  him.  An 
attack  on  Colonel  Streight's  horse-holders  in  the  rear 
and  a  charge  in  front  at  the  same  time,  decided  him 
as  to  the  time  to  move  on.  It  was  as  gallant  and  stub 
born  a  fight  on  both  sides  there  in  that  far-off  moun 
tain  desert  as  ever  was  made  by  American  soldiers, 
and  reflected  the  highest  credit  upon  officers  and  men. 
The  subsequent  fights  that  night  produced  no  decisive 
results.  The  last  one  was  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morn 
ing,  which  gives  an  idea  of  the  persistency  of  the  pur 
suit.  It  was  three  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  May  ist 
that  Forrest's  troops  were  permitted  to  lie  down  for  a 
two  hours'  rest,  after  forty-eight  hours'  riding,  which 
included  nearly  eighteen  hours'  fighting. 


STREIGHT'S   EXPEDITION    CAPTURED.  IIQ 

Meantime,  as  they  slept,  Streight's  mounted  infan 
try  descended  the  eastern  side  of  the  mountain  into  a 
valley  of  comparative  plenty,  reaching  Blountsville  at 
ten  o'clock,  where  corn  was  found  for  the  mules  and 
something  for  the  men  as  well.  It  was  May-day,  and 
the  village  was  full  of  country  people  who,  without 
intending  to  do  so,  contributed  a  large  number  of  fresh 
horses  and  mules  to  the  unexpected  raiders.  Ammuni 
tion  and  rations  were  hastily  distributed  to  the  men. 
It  was  decided  to  get  along  with  pack-mules ;  the 
wagons  were  bunched  and  set  on  fire,  and  the  command 
moved  on  toward  Gadsden.  Just  then  Forrest's  ad 
vance  came  upon  the  scene,  accelerated  the  departure 
of  Captain  Smith's  rear-guard,  extinguished  the  fires 
of  the  burning  wagons,  and  secured  a  supply  of  food 
for  the  hungry  men.  But  there  was  not  much  to  pick 
up  in  the  way  of  horses  and  mules,  for  Streight's  men 
swept  the  country  as  far  as  they  could  reach  on  each 
side  of  the  road.  The  course  of  flight  and  pursuit  was 
almost  east.  Brisk  skirmishing  was  kept  up  in  a  run 
ning  way  until  Streight's  band  reached  the  east  branch 
of  the  Black  Warrior,  some  ten  miles  out  from  Blounts 
ville.  The  ford  was  rocky,  and  the  crossing  was  only 
accomplished  after  some  fighting  and  the  use  of  both 
skirmishers  and  the  howitzers  on  the  east  bank  pro 
tected  the  entire  force  until  it  was  safely  across  the 
little  river.  Nothing  was  lost  there  except  two  pack- 
mules  drowned.  These  were  loaded  with  hardtack, 
which  some  of  Forrest's  men  rescued  before  it  had 
time  to  get  soft. 

After  a  brief  rest  at  this  point  Streight  rode  on  as 
rapidly  as  possible ;  Forrest  followed  with  his  escort 
in  the  lead.  This  was  the  fourth  night's  consecutive 
march.  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  2d  the  Confeder 
ate  general,  with  some  fiftv  picked  men  besides  his 
escort,  came  up  with  the  Federal  rear-guard,  and  a 
9 


I2O  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

sharp  conflict  was  kept  up  for  a  distance  of  fifteen 
miles  to  Black  Creek.  This  is  a  sluggish  stream  with 
very  high  banks,  and  at  this  point  on  the  road  from 
Blountsville  to  Gadsden,  in  1863,  it  was  spanned  by  an 
uncovered  wooden  bridge  over  which  Colonel  Straight 
rushed  his  entire  force  except  one  man,  set  the  bridge 
on  fire,  and  faced  about  with  his  howitzers.  Forrest 
himself  captured  the  vidette  after  chasing  him  at 
breakneck  speed. 

Now  it  would  seem  that  Forrest  was  baffled  at  last, 
and  that  his  wily  foe  might  take  a  well-earned  rest  and 
ride  on  to  Rome  by  easier  stages.  The  stream  was  not 
regarded  as  fordable,  and  the  nearest  bridge,  two  miles 
away,  was  dilapidated  and  unused.  At  this  crisis,  while 
the  Confederate  commander  was  in  a  quandary  and 
waiting  for  his  artillery  and  the  rest  of  his  command  to 
close  up,  a  plain,  womanly,  country  girl,  Emma  San- 
son,  appeared  upon  the  scene,  and  by  her  tact  and 
quickness  of  judgment  did  much  to  change  the  fortunes 
of  the  day  and  the  campaign.  But  for  her  Streight 
might  have  taken  Rome.  Near  by  this  bridge  was  a 
little  country  one-story  home  of  four  rooms,  with  wide 
halls  and  porches,  where  lived  the  widow  Sanson  and 
two  young  daughters.  One  son  and  brother  was  in 
the  Nineteenth  Alabama  Infantry,  and  another  in  a 
Georgia  regiment,  and  these  worthy  ladies,  like  so 
many  others  in  the  South,  were  struggling  along  as 
best  they  could.  Recognizing  Forrest  as  a  Confederate 
officer,  the  girl  came  out  from  the  house,  answered  all 
his  questions  intelligently,  and  added  that  there  was 
an  old  ford  near  by  her  mother's  farm  where  she  had 
seen  cows  cross  in  very  low  water,  and  if  she  had  a 
horse  and  her  saddle  put  on  it  she  would  go  and  show 
him  the  place. 

"  No  time  for  that;  get  up  behind  me,"  he  said, 
which  she  did  instantly.  Just  then  the  mother  came 


STREIGHT'S   EXPEDITION   CAPTURED.          121 

out,  and  excitedly  inquired  where  she  was  going.  Gen 
eral  Forrest  explained  politely,  and  ordering  a  courier 
to  follow,  was  off  with  the  modern  Maid  of  Saragossa 
at  his  back.  The  ford  was  not  very  far  away.  The 
general  and  his  fair  guide  dismounted,  and  he  crawled 
down  a  ravine  to  the  water,  the  girl,  however,  follow 
ing  him  closely.  He  quickly  satisfied  himself  that  his 
men  could  use  the  cow  crossing.  On  the  return  they 
were  both  under  fire,  as  the  Confederates  were  sharply 
engaged  with  the  Federal  rear-guard  across  the  chasm 
which  had  been  spanned  by  the  burned  bridge.  Forrest 
brought  his  brave  young  charge  back  to  her  mother, 
and  was  profuse  in  his  thanks.  He  was  a  man  of  ten 
der  and  sentimental  moods,  and  remained  to  talk  to 
the  ladies  as  long  as  he  dared  take  time.  He  gave  Miss 
Emma  a  horse,  asked  her  to  send  him  a  lock  of  her 
hair,  and  also  wrote  her  a  note  of  thanks,  written  in 
pencil,  on  the  leaf  of  a  note-book.  This  is  yet  in  ex 
istence. 

The  old  ford,  or  Lost  Ford,  was  speedily  made 
available.  The  cavalry  carried  over  by  hand  the  am 
munition  from  the  caissons ;  the  guns  and  empty  cais 
sons  were  pulled  across  by  ropes,  and  soon  all  was  in 
readiness  for  a  rapid  march.  The  advance-guard 
dropped  in  unexpectedly  at  Gadsden,  four  miles  dis 
tant,  and  hastened  Colonel  Streight's  departure,  or  at 
least  stopped  the  destruction  of  some  small  commissary 
stores  in  the  place.  In  his  report  he  says  :  "  The  enemy 
followed  closely  and  kept  up  a  continuous  skirmish 
with  the  rear  of  the  column  until  4  p.  M.,  at  which  time 
we  reached  Blount's  plantation,  fifteen  miles  from 
Gadsden.  Here  I  decided  to  halt.  The  command  was 
dismounted,  a  detail  made  to  feed  the  horses  and  mules 
while  the  remainder  of  the  command  formed  in  line 
of  battle.  Meantime  the  rear-sfuard  became  seriously 
engaged  and  was  driven  in.  The  enemy  at  once  at- 


122  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

tacked  our  main  line,  but  was  repulsed,  fell  back  to  a 
ridge  where  he  massed  his  force  as  if  for  a  more  de 
termined  attack.  It  was  becoming  dark,  and  I  decided 
to  withdraw  unobserved,  if  possible,  and  conceal  my 
command  in  a  thicket  a  half  mile  in  our  rear,  there  to 
be  in  ambush  and  await  his  advance.  In  the  meantime 
I  had  ordered  Captain  Milton  Russell,  Fifty-first  In 
diana,  to  take  two  hundred  of  the  best-mounted  men 
selected  from  the  whole  command,  and  proceed  to 
Rome  and  hold  the  bridge  until  the  command  could 
come  up."  The  colonel  also  mentions  with  deep  regret 
the  loss  of  the  gallant  Colonel  Hathaway,  of  the  Sev 
enty-third  Indiana,  who  fell  mortally  wounded  in  the 
engagement  at  Blount's  plantation. 

The  last  ambuscade  was  a  failure.  It  was  set  once 
too  often.  Forrest  suspected  it,  made  a  flank  move 
ment,  and  the  bold  raiders  were  compelled  to  resume 
the  march  in  the  direction  of  Center.  The  idea  of  send 
ing  Captain  Russell  and  two  hundred  men  ahead  to 
hold  the  bridge  at  Rome  was  well  conceived,  although 
it  proved  disastrous.  General  Forrest,  at  Gadsden,  had 
sent  a  trusted  courier,  John  H.  Wisdom,  by  a  slightly 
circuitous  route  to  Rome  to  notify  the  people  of  the 
coming  invasion ;  hence  Russell  found  the  bridge  well 
defended  and  had  to  turn  back  on  the  3d  to  share  the 
common  calamity  of  the  expedition.  Russell  crossed 
the  Chattooga  River  on  a  boat  which  the  citizens  soon 
afterward  moored  out  of  sight.  Streight  pressed  on 
warily,  and  reaching  this  ferry  could  not  find  the  boat, 
and  turned  up  the  river  several  miles  to  a  bridge 
which  was  passed  over  and  burned.  At  sunrise  he 
passed  Cedar  Bluff,  twenty-eight  miles  from  Gadsden ; 
at  nine  o'clock  that  day  he  stopped  to  feed,  and  the 
men  fell  down  dead  asleep  at  once.  A  message  came 
from  Captain  Russell  that  he  could  not  take  the  bridge 
at  Rome.  Then  again  came  the  report  of  a  flanking 


STREIGHT'S   EXPEDITION   CAPTURED.          123 

force  nearer  Rome  than  he  was.  All  this  in  the  pres 
ence  of  his  worn-down  men  and  animals,  with  the  pros 
pect  of  that  ubiquitous  dare-devil  Forrest  flaring  up 
with  artillery  in  the  advance  at  any  moment,  made  the 
situation  appalling.  Yet  he  was  ready  and  willing  to 
do  and  dare  whatever  man  could  do  in  such  a  dire 
crisis.  Rome  as  a  captured  city  began  to  seem  a  long 
way  off. 

After  the  fight  at  Blount's  plantation  and  the  break 
ing  up  of  the  ambuscade,  Forrest,  feeling  sure  of  the 
game,  called  off  for  the  night,  and  gave  his  men  nearly 
ten  hours'  rest.  Meantime  the  few  stragglers  came  up 
in  time  to  share  this.  The  command  present  was  not 
more  than  five  hundred  strong,  officers  and  men,  illus 
trating  the  survival  of  the  fittest  as  to  powers  of  en 
durance  and  fighting  qualities.  At  an  early  hour  they 
were  in  motion,  comparatively  fresh  and  ready  for  the 
fray.  Reaching  the  place  where  Streight  burned  the 
last  bridge  near  Gaylesville,  the  ammunition  was  car 
ried  over  and  the  cannons  and  caissons  pulled  across 
as  at  Black  Warrior,  and  none  of  the  ammunition  got 
wet,  as  complained  of  by  Colonel  Streight  in  his  re 
port.  Forrest  looked  after  such  matters  for  himself. 

Little  time  was  lost  in  passing  this  bridge  of  ashes. 
Streight's  men  had  marched  all  night ;  Forrest's  slept, 
and  then  covered  the  same  ground  in  a  few  hours. 
About  half-past  nine  o'clock  the  Federals  were  found 
at  breakfast,  which  was  quickly  left  at  the  sound  of 
cannon  and  small  arms.  The  Confederates  came  up, 
skirmished  slightly,  and  took  some  horses  and  mules 
and  other  spoils.  Colonel  Streight  rallied  his  men  on 
a  ridge  in  a  field ;  Forrest  threw  McLemore's  regiment 
to  the  left,  Bififle's  to  the  right,  and  made  a  show  of 
charging  with  his  escort  and  a  detachment  from  a 
skirt  of  timber  in  the  center.  Skirmishing  began,  but 
Streight's  men,  as  he  says  in  his  report,  were  so  ex- 


124  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

hau'sted  that  they  fell  down  in  line  of  battle,  and  while 
looking  over  their  gun-barrels,  with  fingers  on  the 
triggers,  many  of  them  went  to  sleep. 

At  this  opportune  juncture  Forrest  sent  in  Captain 
Henry  Pointer  of  his  staff  with  a  flag  of  truce  to  demand 
a  surrender  of  the  Union  commander  and  his  men, 
with  his  favorite  expression,  "  To  avoid  the  further 
effusion  of  blood."  Colonel  Streight  desired  a  per 
sonal  interview,  which  was  granted.  Forrest's  terms 
were  :  "  Immediate  surrender.  Your  men  to  be  treated 
as  prisoners  of  war;  officers  to  retain  their  side-arms 
and  personal  property."  During  the  conversation  Colo 
nel  Streight  asked,  "  How  many  men  have  you  ?  " 

"  I  have  men  enough  right  here  to  run  over  you 
and  a  column  of  fresh  troops  nearer  Rome  than  you 
are." 

Just  then  a  section  of  Forrest's  artillery  came  in 
sight  about  three  hundred  yards  off,  at  which  the 
colonel  showed  a  little  impatience.  General  Forrest 
quietly  said  to  an  officer  that  the  artillery  must  not 
come  any  nearer.  The  section,  however,  kept  around 
the  crest  of  a  hill,  so  as  to  appear  like  many  small  bat 
teries  going  into  position.  "  How  much  artillery  have 
you,  general?"  asked  the  colonel. 

"  Enough  to  blow  you  to  pieces  in  thirty  minutes," 
was  the  reply,  all  of  which  was  pure  audacity. 

Colonel  Streight  dreaded  the  idea  of  surrendering 
to  an  inferior  force,  and  even  claimed  afterward  that 
he  was  outnumbered  three  to  one,  and  so  he  was,  if  he 
believed  Forrest.  He  must  see  his  officers,  he  said. 
"  All  right ;  it  will  soon  be  over,  one  way  or  the  other," 
answered  Forrest,  indifferently.  His  officers  were 
unanimously  in  favor  of  surrendering,  and  the  colonel 
agreed  to  this  in  a  perfunctory  manner.  It  had  been 
his  fight  all  the  way  through,  but  this  was  not  his  sur 
render. 


Map  of  the  vicinity  of  Nashville. 


STREIGHT'S   EXPEDITION   CAPTURED.          12$ 

The  men  stacked  arms  and  were  marched  back  in  a 
field,  and  as  soon  as  possible  Forrest  managed  to  get 
his  force  between  them  and  their  guns.  Colonel 
Streight  made  a  short  address  to  his  men,  thanking 
them  for  their  gallantry  and  calling  upon  them  to  give 
three  cheers  for  the  Union,  which  were  given  with  a 
burst  of  enthusiasm.  General  Forrest  was  present, 
but  made  no  objection  to  this  as  he  respected  brave 
men  wherever  found,  and  had  gained  a  great  vic 
tory  over  these.  The  officers  were  started  directly  to 
Rome,  twenty  miles  distant.  On  the  way  they  met 
the  gallant  Captain  Russell,  who,  with  tears  in  his  eyes, 
surrendered  his  two  hundred  brave  men.  The  captured 
men  bivouacked  on  the  ground  that  night  and  were 
marched  into  Rome  the  next  day.  Colonel  Biffle's  regi 
ment  gathered  up  the  arms,  and  thus  closed  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  and  desperately  contested  undertak 
ings  of  the  war. 

On  Monday,  May  4th,  the  main  body  of  prisoners 
was  started  by  rail  by  way  of  Atlanta  for  Richmond. 
Colonel  Streight  and  his  officers  were  forwarded  by  a 
different  train,  and  it  is  interesting  as  a  matter  of  his 
tory  here  to  mention  the  fact  out  of  its  order  that  he 
and  four  of  his  officers  escaped  from  Libby  Prison  by 
the  tunnel  route  on  a  dark  night  in  February,  1864. 
He  reentered  the  service,  and  his  report  of  his  expedi 
tion  was  dated  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  August  22,  1864, 
although  it  was  not  transmitted  to  headquarters  until 
the  loth  of  December,  1864.  In  this  he  assigns  the 
poor  mules  as  one  great  cause  of  his  defeat,  and  says 
that  if  General  Dodge  had  detained  Forrest  only  one 
day  longer,  he  would  have  been  successful.  He  claims 
to  have  started  in  with  only  fifteen  hundred  men,  and 
estimates  his  losses  as  fifteen  officers  and  about  one 
hundred  and  thirty  men  killed  and  wounded ;  prison 
ers  lost,  two  hundred  and  fifty ;  total,  three  hundred 


126  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

and  forty-five.*  This  would  leave  eleven  hundred  and 
fifty-five  officers  and  men  surrendered  to  a  force  of 
less  than  six  hundred.  General  R.  J.  Oglesby  in  his 
report  says :  "  One  of  Dodge's  men,  who  was  with 
Streight  and  escaped,  says  that  when  they  were  taken 
they  were  worn  out,  and  Forrest  captured  them  with 
five  hundred  men.  Streight  thought  a  large  force  was 
after  him." 

General  Bragg  reported  to  Richmond :  "  May  3d, 
between  Gadsden  and  Rome,  after  five  days  and  nights 
of  fighting  and  marching,  General  Forrest  captured 
Colonel  Streight  and  his  whole  command,  about  sixteen 
hundred  men,  with  rifles,  horses,  etc.,"  and  the  Con 
federate  Congress  promptly  passed  a  vote  of  thanks 
to  General  N.  B.  Forrest  and  the  officers  and  men  of 
his  command.  Forrest  and  his  men  were  received  in 
Rome  with  demonstrations  of  great  joy,  especially  by 
refugees  from  Tennessee.  He  was  the  hero  and  idol 
of  the  hour,  and  all  Georgia  seemed  ready  to  rise  up  and 
do  him  honor.  As  a  testimonial  the  citizens  presented 
him  with  a  superb  horse  and  proposed  to  give  him  a 
public  entertainment.  But  he  did  not  pause  to  rest 
upon  his  laurels.  Two  days  were  spent  in  selecting 
and  shoeing  the  best  of  his  own  and  the  captured 
horses.  Some  of  the  latter,  however,  were  afterward 
claimed  by  citizens  along  the  line  of  Streight's  march 
and  restored  to  them.  By  the  morning  of  the  6th,  he 
had  remounted  his  men  and  supplied  his  artillery. 
That  afternoon  a  public  entertainment  was  to  have  been 
given,  but  a  rumor  came  that  a  heavy  Federal  raid  was 
moving  from  Tuscumbia  toward  Talledega,  and  it 
was  indefinitely  postponed,  as  Forrest  moved  at  eight 
o'clock  that  morning  toward  Gadsden. 

There  he  learned  that  the  rumor  was  groundless. 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xviii,  p.  285. 


STREIGHT'S   EXPEDITION   CAPTURED.  I2/ 

Marching  directly  by  the  shortest  route,  he  reached 
Decatur  on  the  loth,  and  recrossed  to  the  north  bank 
of  the  Tennessee.  Turning  over  the  command  to  Colo 
nel  Biffle  on  the  nth,  General  Forrest  proceeded  by 
rail  to  report  to  General  Bragg  at  Shelbyville.  On  the 
way  he  was  given  an  enthusiastic  greeting  and  pre 
sented  with  another  fine  horse  by  the  people  of  Hunts- 
ville.  Reaching  Shelbyville  on  the  I3th,  General 
Bragg  gave  him  a  reception  of  unusual  warmth,  and 
proposed  to  have  him  made  a  major-general  and  to 
place  him  in  chief  command  of  the  cavalry  of  the  army. 
Forrest  modestly  demurred  to  this,  and  suggested  the 
name  of  another  officer  for  the  promotion.  After  re 
maining  some  days  at  headquarters  he  received  orders 
to  return  to  Spring  Hill  and  assume  command  of  the 
cavalry  on  the  flank,  as  General  Van  Dorn  had  been 
killed  during  his  absence.  Upon  reaching  there  on  the 
1 6th  he  at  once  assumed  command. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

SPRING  HILL  TO   CHICKAMAUGA. 

WHEN  Forrest  assumed  command  at  Spring  Hill 
the  forces  under  him  were  Brigadier-General  Jackson's 
division,  composed  of  Cosby's  and  Whitfield's  brigades, 
and  to  this  was  soon  added  his  own  brigade  com 
manded  by  Colonel  Starnes.  Soon  afterward,  however, 
Jackson's  division  was  ordered  back  to  Mississippi. 
The  remaining  brigades,  Starnes's  and  Armstrong's, 
were  on  picket  and  scout  duty  until  about  the  last 
of  June.  Reconnaissances  in  force  were  made,  and 
numerous  sharp  little  encounters  ensued.  In  one  of 
these  daring  advances,  however,  General  Forrest  nar 
rowly  escaped  with  his  life  by  mistaking  a  signal  flag 
for  a  flag  of  truce. 

On  the  4th  of  June  he  advanced  with  his  two 
brigades  on  Franklin  to  ascertain  what  force  was  there. 
The  pickets  were  driven  in,  some  captures  made,  and 
Forrest  charged  into  the  town.  Colonel  J.  P.  Baird,  of 
the  Eighty-fifth  Indiana,  and  his  soldiers  took  refuge 
in  a  strong  little  fort  on  a  hill  near  by.  There  he  be 
gan  to  signal  vigorously  to  General  Gordon  Granger 
at  Triune,  fifteen  miles  to  the  east.  Forrest  mistook 
this  to  be  a  flag  of  truce,  and  ordering  his  men  to 
cease  firing,  sent  one  forward  himself  and  rode  toward 
the  front.  Before  he  had  attracted  official  attention,  a 
Federal  officer  rose  up  from  behind  a  hedge  and 
shouted,  "  General  Forrest,  I  know  you,  and  don't  want 
to  see  you  hurt !  Go  back !  That's  no  flag  of  truce  up 
128 


SPRING    HILL   TO   CHICKAMAUGA. 


I29 


there !  "  Forrest  saluted  and  rode  off.  Looking  back 
he  saw  that  a  detachment  had  arisen  at  short  range,  and 
he  again  saluted.  He  supposed  that  probably  the  offi 
cer  was  one  of  the  number  he  had  captured  at  Mur- 
freesboro,  all  of  whom  he  had  treated  kindly.  Getting 
back  into  town,  and  moving  up  the  artillery,  he  held 
the  place  several  hours,  opened  the  jail  and  released 
some  Confederate  prisoners, 
and  had  his  men  help  them 
selves  freely  to  Government 
and  sutler's  stores.  Arm 
strong  had  crossed  the  Har- 
peth  with  Woodward's  bat 
talion  and  part  of  the  First 
Tennessee  to  reconnoiter  east 
ward  in  the  direction  of  Tri 
une,  and  soon  met  four  regi 
ments  of  cavalry  coming  from 
that  direction,  and  fighting 
stubbornly,  was  forced  back 
across  the  river,  losing  eight 
een  killed  or  wounded  out  of 
thirty-eight  in  his  escort.  He  was  protected,  however, 
in  crossing  by  Colonel  Hobson's  regiment  of  Arkan- 
sans.  Forrest  heard  the  firing  and  advanced  with  a 
part  of  his  force  to  the  scene,  but  being  certain  that 
a  heavy  force  was  in  front  withdrew  with  Starnes's 
brigade  and  encamped  for  the  night  within  three  miles 
of  Franklin.  Armstrong  with  his  brigade  resumed  the 
picket  line. 

Some  days  later  Starnes's  brigade  was  detached  and 
sent  forward  to  Triune.  After  driving  in  and  cap 
turing  some  pickets  he  swung  around  toward  Nash 
ville,  and  returning  burned  the  bridge  at  Brentwood 
which  had  been  rebuilt  since  the  affair  of  the  previous 
April.  On  the  2oth,  Forrest  made  another  demon- 


130  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

stration  on  Triune  with  nearly  his  entire  division. 
Crossing  the  Harpeth  he  encountered  and  drove  in  a 
regiment  of  Federal  cavalry,  and  bringing  up  Morton's 
artillery  to  within  four  hundred  yards  of  the  main  en 
campment  opened  fire.  The  Federal  force  then  went 
into  the  rifle-pits,  and  several  batteries  returned  with 
a  heavy  shelling.  An  infantry  brigade  moved  into 
position  to  enfilade  Forrest,  and  realizing  that  he  had 
gone  far  enough  he  quickly  withdrew.  The  Federal 
cavalry  pursued  and  some  skirmishing  ensued.  Major 
Jeffrey  Forrest  succeeded  in  bringing  out  on  this  occa 
sion  several  hundred  head  of  horses  and  mules  and 
half  as  many  fat  cattle  found  guarded  in  a  pasture. 

The  Federal  cavalry  had  by  this  time  become  quite 
formidable,  whatever  it  may  have  been  in  the  early 
days  of  the  war,  for  General  Rosecrans,  as  early  as 
May  10,  1863,  wrote  to  the  Federal  quartermaster-gen 
eral  that  he  had  on  hand  cavalry  horses  six  thousand 
five  hundred  and  thirty-seven,  mounted  infantry  one 
thousand  nine  hundred  and  thirty-eight,  also  orderlies 
and  escorts  two  thousand  and  twenty-eight.  Allowing 
twenty-five  per  cent  off  for  disabled  horses  he  would 
still  have  had  about  seven  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
seventy-five  available  for  service.  Hence  from  that 
time  on  he  doubtless  had  more  cavalry  than  Bragg. 

During  the  period  that  Forrest  assumed  command 
at  Spring  Hill,  and  began  to  follow  Bragg  out  of  Mid 
dle  Tennessee,  an  unfortunate  incident  occurred  which 
seemed  to  sustain  the  idea  that  he  bore  a  charmed  life 
and  was  impervious  to  danger.  It  has  been  mentioned 
already  that  he  was  greatly  incensed  at  the  loss  of  the 
two  guns  in  the  battle  of  Days  Gap  during  Streight's 
raid.  When  the  artillery  was  reorganized  young  Lieu 
tenant  Gould,  of  Nashville,  who  had  been  in  charge 
of  this  section,  was  placed  in  another  command.  No 
charges  had  been  made,  but  the  lieutenant  construed 


SPRING   HILL   TO   CHICKAMAUGA.  131 

his  transfer  as  an  imputation  upon  his  courage  and 
honor,  and  undertook  to  redress  his  grievance  by  mak 
ing  it  a  personal  affair. 

One  day  when  Forrest  was  dining  at  the  house  of 
a  friend  in  Columbia,  the  lieutenant  called  and  asked 
for  an  interview,  but  was  told  that  the  general  would 
see  him  at  the  quartermaster's  office  at  three  o'clock. 
He  was  there  ahead  of  time  and  busily  engaged  in 
talking  when  the  lieutenant  arrived.  Forrest  hap 
pened  to  have  a  closed  pocket-knife  in  his  hand  and 
walked  out  into  the  hall  with  the  young  man,  not  sus 
pecting  any  hostile  feeling  much  less  an  attack  upon 
his  life.  The  lieutenant  at  once  began  to  speak  in  a 
nervous,  excited  manner  about  being  left  out  of  the 
battery.  Forrest  said  that  he  did  not  care  to  discuss 
the  matter  but  that  his  decision  was  final.  The  lieu 
tenant  suddenly  fired  a  pistol  through  the  pocket  of  a 
linen  duster.  A  large  ball  struck  the  general  just 
above  the  left  hip,  and  passed  through  and  around 
his  body.  Forrest  grasped  his  assailant's  right  hand 
with  his  own,  while  with  his  left  he  pressed  his  pocket- 
knife  to  his  mouth,  opened  it  with  his  teeth  and  fingers, 
and  gave  the  lieutenant  a  terrible  slash,  cutting  two  ribs 
apart,  which  proved  to  be  a  mortal  wound.  The  young 
man  ran  away,  and  Forrest  went  to  a  surgeon,  who  told 
him  that  he  feared  his  wound  might  prove  fatal.  He 
then  started  out  to  finish  his  assailant  and  found  him 
lying  on  a  counter  in  a  store ;  but  being  assured  that 
the  lieutenant  could  not  live,  gave  orders  that  he  should 
be  carried  to  a  hotel  and  cared  for. 

Forrest  was  weak  from  loss  of  blood  and  had  to 
be  carried  away  himself,  but  he  soon  rallied.  A  few 
days  later  the  young  officer  was  dying  and  sent  for 
him.  He  admitted  that  he  had  acted  rashly  and  begged 
the  general's  forgiveness,  adding:  "  I  am  so  thankful 
that  I  am  the  one  to  die  and  that  you  are  spared  to  the 


132  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

country."  The  interview  was  very  touching;  Forrest 
was  all  forgiveness  and  tears,  and  expressed  the  deep 
est  regret  over  the  occurrence.  The  strong  man  was  a 
child  again,  and  gave  way  to  his  emotions.  Those  who 
knew  the  young  man  say  that  while  he  appeared  to  be 
slow  and  imperturbable  he  had  the  soul  of  a  soldier  and 
was  at  once  courageous  and  supersensitive.  Forrest's 
powerful  constitution  triumphed,  and  he  was  soon  in 
the  saddle  again.  Referring  to  this  affair  afterward  he 
said  that  he  never  wanted  to  kill  anybody  except  an 
enemy,  and  then  only  when  righting  for  his  country. 

The  long-contemplated  advance  of  Rosecrans's 
army  began  on  the  22cl  of  June ;  Bragg  was  well  ad 
vised  of  the  fact,  but  did  not  care  to  risk  another 
great  engagement  north  of  the  Tennessee  River  as  de 
feat  would  mean  utter  ruin.  Forrest  was  ordered  to 
fall  back  to  Tullahoma  by  way  of  Shelby ville.  Major- 
General  Wheeler  had  been  assigned  charge  of  the 
movement  and  protection  of  the  immense  wagon-trains 
loaded  with  supplies  collected  for  the  whole  army  at 
Shelbyville.  Forrest  reached  the  outskirts  of  the  town 
on  the  afternoon  of  June  27th,  expecting  to  join 
Wheeler  in  crossing  Duck  River.  Wheeler,  however, 
had  been  hard  pushed,  and  moved  so  rapidly  that  For 
rest  could  not  come  up  with  him.  He  had  crossed 
his  command  over  Duck  River  and  was  on  the  south 
side  ready  to  burn  the  bridge,  when  Major  Rambaut 
came  up  and  reported  that  Forrest  with  two  brigades 
was  in  sight  and  liable  to  be  cut  off. 

General  Wheeler,  with  characteristic  gallantry,  re- 
crossed  to  the  north  side  of  the  river  accompanied  by 
General  Martin  and  five  hundred  of  his  men,  taking 
two  pieces  of  artillery,  which  were  placed  in  position. 
This  was  scarcely  done  when  the  Union  cavalry  in 
great  force  came  thundering  down  on  a  charge.  The 
guns,  loaded  with  canister,  were  fired,  but  this  did  not 


SPRING   HILL   TO   CHICKAMAUGA.  133 

stop  the  solid  mass  of  charging  troopers ;  they  ran 
over  everything  until  they  took  those  guns;  Wheeler 
and  Martin  could  make  no  resistance.  The  bridge  was 
at  once  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  and  blockaded  at 
that  by  an  overturned  caisson.  Those  brave  leaders 
saw  but  one  way  out  and  that  was  a  desperate  chance. 
Rallying  their  men,  Wheeler  and  Martin  spurred  their 
horses  over  the  bank  and  plunged  full  fifteen  feet  down 
into  the  swift,  muddy  river,  greatly  swollen  by  recent 
rains.  They  were  followed  by  the  men  without  pause, 
and  nearly  all  disappeared  when  they  first  struck  the 
water.  As  they  rose  and  struggled  for  the  opposite 
bank  the  Federals  opened  fire  upon  them,  and  it  was 
estimated  that  forty  or  fifty  were  killed  and  drowned. 
Generals  Wheeler  and  Martin  escaped  unhurt,  General 
Gordon  Granger  failed  to  pursue  that  night,  and  the 
great  wagon-train  was  soon  beyond  his  reach. 

Meantime  Forrest,  realizing  the  situation,  made  a 
dash  for  the  nearest  bridge,  four  miles  east  of  Shelby- 
ville,  crossed  safely  over  and  went  around  to  the  pro 
tection  of  the  train.  On  the  28th  of  June  he  overtook 
the  main  army  at  Tullahoma  and  was  assigned  to  duty 
in  the  direction  of  Manchester,  east  of  army  head 
quarters.  Colonel  Starnes  with  his  brigade  was  placed 
on  that  road,  and  on  the  3Oth  of  June,  in  front  of  Tulla 
homa,  encountered  Crittenden's  corps  of  Rosecrans's 
army,  and  in  a  heavy  skirmish  was  mortally  wounded. 
He  was  on  the  picket-line  at  the  time  encouraging  his 
men  to  stand  their  ground.  Starnes  was  an  accom 
plished  physician  and  gentleman  and  one  of  Forrest's 
best  leaders.  His  loss  was  severely  felt.  That  same 
night  Forrest  and  his  escort  came  in  contact  with  a  de 
tachment  of  Wilder's  famous  brigade,  capturing  and 
killing  a  few  and  stampeding  the  rest.  After  this  he 
was  assigned  the  duty  of  securing  and  holding  a  pass 
in  the  Cumberland  Mountains,  near  Cowan,  Tenn.,  as 


134  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

a  part  of  the  plan  of  Bragg's  retreat  to  Chattanooga. 
From  this  point  he  covered  the  retreat  of  Hardee's 
corps  moving  over  the  mountains  into  the  Sequatchie 
Valley,  and  had  several  sharp  collisions  with  Federal' 
cavalry,  but  these  were  not  of  serious  consequence, 
although  illustrating  the  vim  and  efficiency  of  both 
the  Confederate  cavalry  and  artillery  and  the  tireless 
energy  of  the  Union  troops. 

Dibbrell  succeeded  to  the  command  of  Starnes's 
brigade,  and  held  the  pass  until  July  4th,  when,  as  no 
Federal  force  appeared,  he  followed  the  army  to  the 
Tennessee  River.  Armstrong  had  been  sent  on  to  Jas 
per  to  protect  the  flank  on  the  northeast  side,  and  as 
soon  as  the  army  crossed  the  river  and  was  concen 
trated  at  Chattanooga,  Forrest  followed  with  his  divi 
sion,  went  into  camp,  and  for  two  weeks  gave  his  men 
a  rest.  On  the  24th  of  July  he  was  ordered  to  King 
ston  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  and  given  command 
of  the  Confederate  cavalry  in  East  Tennessee.  This 
was  a  wide  field,  in  which  Union  sentiments  largely 
prevailed,  and  his  assignment  involved  much  hard 
work  as  well  as  some  desultory  fighting. 

Colonel  Dibbrell,  with  only  three  hundred  men, 
had  been  sent  with  his  Eighth  Tennessee  regiment  to 
the  neighborhood  of  Sparta,  his  old  home,  to  con 
front  a  corps  of  Rosecrans's  army,  reported  to  be  at 
McMinnville.  An  attempt  was  made  by  the  Federal 
Colonel  Robert  H.  Minty,  with  a  force  of  seven  hun 
dred  and  seventy-four  effectives,  who  marched  all 
night,  to  surprise  Colonel  Dibbrell,  but  was  at  a  disad 
vantage,  and  really  fell  into  a  trap  on  Calfkiller  Creek. 
Forrest  heard  of  this,  and  sent  Colonel  McLemore  with 
two  hundred  men  of  the  Fourth  Tennessee  and  some 
ammunition  to  the  relief  of  Dibbrell.  There  were  other 
and  minor  engagements,  but  Dibbrell  was  on  his  own 
ground  and  remained  master  of  the  situation.  His 


SPRING   HILL   TO   CHICKAMAUGA.  135 

campaign  was  a  small  but  brilliant  success  over  greatly 
superior  numbers.  On  the  22d  of  August  he  received 
orders  from  Forrest  to  return  and  report  at  Kingston. 
Several  of  his  officers  and  men  had  been  allowed  to 
go  home  to  see  their  families  and  equip  themselves  for 
the  fall  and  winter  campaign,  and  some  failed  to  re 
port  or  deserted.  So  he  crossed  over  to  the  east  side 
of  the  Cumberland  Mountains  with  only  one  hundred 
men. 

A  squadron  of  the  Eleventh  Tennessee  penetrated 
as  far  northeast  as  Wartburg,  Morgan  County,  Tenn., 
encountered  a  heavy  Federal  column  of  all  arms,  and 
after  a  daring  brush  escaped.  Pegram's  division  had 
been  kept  well  to  the  front  to  watch  the  various  moun 
tain  passes.  On  the  3ist  of  August  Forrest  received 
orders  to  evacuate  East  Tennessee  with  all  his  force 
except  Scott's  brigade,  which  was  to  remain  at  Loudon, 
on  the  East  Tennessee,  Virginia  and  Georgia  Railroad 
where  it  crosses  the  Tennessee  River  some  fifteen  miles 
south  of  Kingston,  and  burn  the  big  bridge  at  this  place 
on  the  approach  of  the  enemy.  This  was  done  ulti 
mately  after  some  hard  fighting.  The  presence  of  so 
much  Confederate  cavalry  in  East  Tennessee,  some  of 
it  more  than  a  hundred  miles  east  of  Chattanooga,  gave 
rise  in  Union  quarters  to  an  apprehension  that  a  move 
was  to  be  made  on  Kentucky.  Forrest  moved  south 
with  celerity,  but  the  wires  were  kept  hot  inquiring  as 
to  his  movements  or  whereabouts  for  several  days. 
Bragg  was  getting  ready  to  evacuate  Chattanooga,  and 
when  Forrest  arrived  there  his  forces  were  so  dis 
tributed  as  to  best  cover  the  movement. 

General  Rosecrans  and  his  chief  of  staff,  General 
James  A.  Garfield,  were  at  Trenton,  Ga.,  and  had  or 
dered  General  Stanley  with  a  force  of  thirteen  regi 
ments  to  make  a  raid  in  Bragg's  rear,  and  thus  perhaps 
accomplish  what  Streight  had  failed  to  do.  Stanley 

10 


136  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

had  his  misgivings,  but  Garfield  wrote  him  a  very  en 
couraging  letter  on  the  7th  of  September,  assuring  him 
that  Forrest's  whole  force  and  nearly  all  of  Wheeler's 
were  in  the  neighborhood  of  Chattanooga,  and  could 
not  be  brought  to  bear  on  his  expedition.  Stanley  was 
urged  and  ordered  to  make  a  move  that  was  expected 
to  sever  the  enemy's  communication  with  Atlanta.  The 
Federal  forces  had  crossed  the  Tennessee  River  at 
various  points  and  were  moving  south  by  different 
routes  widely  apart,  without  meeting  much  concerted 
resistance.  As  the  evacuation  of  Chattanooga  began 
Forrest  was  ordered  to  hasten  with  Armstrong's  divi 
sion  toward  Rome,  to  assist  in  repelling  the  cavalry 
movement  reported  in  that  direction.  Reaching  Som- 
erville  by  forced  marches  he  found  Wharton's  division 
of  Wheeler's  cavalry  there,  and  learned  that  the  enemy 
was  climbing  the  mountain  near  Alpine,  some  forty 
miles  from  Chattanooga.  Selecting  about  twelve  hun 
dred  of  his  own  men  he  moved  forward  in  conjunction 
with  Wharton  and  checked  the  movement;  then  was 
ordered  back  to  report  to  General  Bragg  at  Lafayette, 
and  there  directed  to  ascertain  the  enemy's  movements 
in  the  direction  of  Chattanooga. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  loth  he  learned  that  two 
divisions  of  Crittenden's  corps  had  advanced  across  the 
Chickamauga  at  Red  House  Bridge  on  the  Ringgold 
road,  nine  miles  out  from  Chattanooga.  Seeing  that 
Crittenden  had  no  near  support,  he  planned  for  his 
capture,  and  so  advised  Bragg  and  Polk,  who  were 
only  six  miles  away,  but  received  no  response.  He 
even  procured  guides  and  prepared  to  go  around  and 
take  Red  House  Bridge,  but  all  for  naught.  To  a  man 
of  Forrest's  intuitive  perceptions  of  the  art  of  war 
and  executive  ability,  it  must  have  been  very  galling  to 
find  that  he  had  been  sent  on  such  a  wild-goose  chase. 
At  midnight  he  went  to  look  for  General  Bragg,  and 


SPRING   HILL   TO   CH1CKAMAUGA.  137 

found  that  he  had  gone  to  Lafayette  and  ordered 
thither  all  the  infantry  in  that  neighborhood. 

Hastening  back,  Forrest  placed  Scott's  brigade, 
only  nine  hundred  strong,  and  four  pieces  of  artillery, 
across  Crittenden's  line  of  march  and  stubbornly  con 
tested  his  advance  on  the  nth,  but  was  gradually 
forced  back  to  Ringgold  and  thence  to  Tunnel  Hill. 
One  or  two  positions  were  held  with  desperate  tenacity. 
Finally  Pegram,  who  had  been  hanging  on  the  Federal 
right  flank  in  the  direction  of  Lafayette  with  part  of 
his  division,  joined  Forrest,  and  Dibbrell  came  up  with 
his  brigade  from  Dalton  where  he  had  been  sent  after 
the  movement  to  Alpine.  Here  Forrest  made  a  final 
stand  in  a  strong  position.  His  men  were  dismounted 
and  fought  as  infantry.  Pegram  handled  his  men 
with  great  skill,  and  Colonel  Hart  of  the  Sixth  Georgia 
made  a  charge  upon  a  large  force  of  infantry  and  cap 
tured  over  fifty  prisoners.  The  Federals  retired,  and 
at  Ringgold  moved  westward  and  took  the  position 
which  had  been  vacated  by  Polk  and  Buckner.  In  this 
isolated  position  they  remained  two  days.  General 
Bragg  finally  ordered  Polk  to  attack  Crittenden  on 
the  morning  of  the  I3th,  but  the  latter  had  quietly  and 
prudently  concluded  to  rejoin  the  main  force  or  part  of 
it  some  hours  before.  This  was  set  down  by  military 
critics  as  another  of  Bragg's  lost  opportunities. 

Several  times  during  this  campaign  Rosecrans's 
commands  were  so  widely  separated  without  the  possi 
bility  of  immediate  reenforcement  that  Bragg  could 
have  destroyed  a  corps.  The  effective  force  of  each 
army  may  be  roughly  estimated  as  follows :  Rose- 
crans,  fifty-two  thousand  three  hundred  and  ninety- 
two  infantry  and  artillery,  and  seventy-five  hundred 
cavalry ;  in  round  numbers  sixty  thousand,  with  one 
hundred  and  seventy  guns.  Bra^g  had  about  thirty- 
five  thousand  bayonets,  seventy-five  hundred  cavalry 


138  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

rank  and  file,  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  guns ;  and 
five  small  brigades  from  Virginia  and  Mississippi  ar 
rived  at  Ringgold  on  the  I7th.  In  the  absence  of 
General  Hood  these  were  assigned  to  the  command 
of  Brigadier-General  Bushrod  R.  Johnson.  General 
Rosecrans  on  the  i6th  despatched  to  General  Burn- 
side,  near  Knoxville :  "  The  enemy  intend  us  all  the 
mischief  in  their  power.  It  is  of  the  utmost  impor 
tance  that  you  close  down  this  way  to  cover  our 
left  flank.  We  have  not  the  force  to  cover  our  flank 
against  Forrest  now.  He  could  cross  the  river  above 
us  before  we  could  discover  it.  I  want  all  the  help  we 
can  get  promptly."*  Thus  we  have  some  idea  of  the 
general  situation  and  of  the  especial  operations  of  For 
rest  up  to  date  without  going  into  numerous  minor 
details.  Rosecrans  had  slowly  brought  together  the 
bulk  of  his  army  in  the  Chickamauga  Valley,  south  of 
Lees  and  Gordons  Mills.  Bragg  had  massed  his 
forces  around  Lafayette,  and  there  was  a  division  of 
six  brigades  at  Catoosa  and  Ringgold. 

This  brings  us  to  the  very  edge  of  the  great  battle 
of  Chickamauga,  in  which  Forrest  took  such  an  active 
part.  Bragg  issued  an  order  to  take  the  offensive, 
although  the  clash  of  arms  could  not  have  been  much 
longer  averted.  General  Bushrod  R.  Johnson,  who  had 
fought  so  well  with  Forrest  at  Fort  Donelson,  was  to 
bring  on  the  engagement.  Early  on  the  morning  of 
the  i8th  of  September  Johnson  moved  out  from  Ring- 
gold  with  four  brigades:  (i)  his  own;  (2)  McNair's ; 
(3)  Gregg's,  and  (4)  J.  B.  Robertson's  (Hood's  old 
brigade),  forty-two  hundred  strong  and  twelve  guns. 
He  was  to  cross  Chickamauga  Creek  at  Reids  Bridge 
and  sweep  up-stream  (southward)  and  clear  the  road 
toward  Lees  and  Gordons  Mills.  This  was  the  ex- 

*  Rebellion  Records,  part  iii,  vol.  xxx,  p.  691. 


SPRING   HILL   TO   CHICKAMAUGA.  139 

treme  right  of  infantry  with  Forrest,  and  only  a 
small  command  at  that  on  the  farther  flank.  He  had 
been  resting  at  Dalton  for  a  few  days  with  his  escort 
and  only  a  remnant  of  John  Morgan's  command,  about 
two  hundred  in  all,  while  the  remnant  of  his  division 
was  scattered  at  different  points  of  observation.  Next 
on  Bushrod  R.  Johnson's  left  was  Major-General 
William  H.  T.  Walker's  division,  and  then  Buckner's. 

Johnson  approached  Reids  Bridge  about  noon  on 
the  1 8th ;  Forrest  with  his  small  force  went  to  the 
front,  and  Pegram's  division,  coming  up,  was  placed 
on  the  left  as  a  support.  Skirmishing  began  at  Pea 
Vine  Creek,  Forrest  bringing  on  the  fight,  and  the 
Federals,  after  a  gallant  fight,  were  pushed  back  by 
cavalry  and  infantry,  and  recrossed  without  having 
time  to  burn  the  bridge.  Thus  it  happened  that  For 
rest  brought  on  the  great  battle. 

The  entire  Confederate  force  at  that  point  crossed 
the  Chickamauga,  was  joined  by  Pegram's  division, 
and  marched  up  the  creek  in  the  direction  of  Alexan 
ders  Bridge.  Major-General  John  B.  Hood  reached 
the  ground  about  4  P.  M.,  and  assumed  command  of 
the  troops  on  that  part  of  the  field.  After  scouting  and 
picketing  to  the  right  of  the  position,  Forrest  bivou 
acked  with  his  troops  in  the  rear  of  Hood's  line.  That 
night,  about  nine  o'clock,  he  rode  with  General  Hood 
to  Bragg's  headquarters,  where  he  was  instructed  to 
develop  the  enemy  early  next  morning  on  the  extreme 
Confederate  right  and  report  his  movements  to  the 
nearest  commanders.  He  was  assured  of  prompt  re- 
enforcements  if  he  brought  on  a  general  engagement. 
General  Walker  was  especially  directed  to  respond  to 
all  his  requisitions. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  TQth,  Forrest  led 
Pegram's  division  northward  to  Jay's  sawmill,  about 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  west  of  Reids  Bridge,  and 


140  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

there  encountered  a  heavy  Federal  force.  Realizing  that 
he  was  outnumbered  he  sent  Major  W.  C.  Anderson 
of  his  staff  for  Armstrong's  division,  seven  miles  south 
with  Folk's  corps,  and  also  called  on  Walker  for  a 
brigade  of  infantry.  Dismounting  his  small  force,  ex 
cept  Rucker,  he  deployed  his  men  as  infantry  and 
forced  back  the  Federal  skirmishers  several  hundred 
yards.  The  Federals  assumed  the  defensive;  Rucker 
charged  with  his  two  battalions,  the  Twelfth  and  Six 
teenth,  dashed  down  upon  the  main  force  in  gallant 
style,  but  was  met  by  a  heavy  fire,  and  after  losing 
some  men  and  taking  a  few  prisoners,  had  to  fall  back. 

It  was  discovered  that  while  the  Confederates  had 
moved  up  the  creek  (southward)  the  previous  evening, 
the  Federals  had  shifted  their  forces  down  toward 
Chattanooga.  The  Confederates  were  outflanked,  and 
reenforcements  came  slowly  to  Forrest.  Only  Dib- 
brell's  brigade  could  be  spared  in  the  forenoon,  and 
upon  arriving,  about  twelve  o'clock,  this  was  dis 
mounted  and  was  soon  in  the  thick  of  the  fight,  but  no 
infantry  came.  Ordering  Pegram  to  hold  his  position 
at  all  hazards,  Forrest  dashed  off  to  look  for  infantry 
support.  Pegram  obeyed  orders  but  at  a  heavy  cost. 
In  his  report  he  says :  "  It  became  apparent  that  we 
were  fighting  overpowering  numbers.  General  For 
rest  having  sent  several  messages  for  the  infantry  to 
come  up  finally  went  for  them  himself,  ordering  me 
to  hold  the  position  until  their  arrival.  In  obeying 
the  order  our  loss  was  about  one-fourth  of  the  com 
mand." 

Colonel  Claudius  C.  Wilson's  brigade  of  Georgians 
at  last  came  to  the  rescue,  and  swung  into  line  on  Pe- 
gram's  left.  The  Union  line  was  driven  back  and  a 
battery  captured.  Forrest  was  now  in  command  of  all 
the  troops  on  this  end  of  the  line,  and  with  Wilson's 
veterans  drove  back  two  lines  of  the  enemy  until  a 


SPRING   HILL   TO  CHICKAMAUGA.  141 

third  was  discovered  in  a  strong  position.  Just  then 
General  M.  D.  Ector  appeared  on  the  field  with  his 
brigade,  mainly  Texans,  and,  reporting  to  General  For 
rest,  was  thrown  to  Wilson's  right,  while  the  dis 
mounted  cavalry  was  pushed  still  farther  over  on  the 
Confederate  flank.  Before  these  forces  could  be  wel) 
aligned  the  Federals,  being  reenforced,  came  forward 
with  a  heavy  column  which  flanked  Wilson's  left.  A 
terrific  fire  opened,  and  Forrest's  entire  line  was  forced 
back.  Even  the  captured  battery  was  lost  because  the 
horses  were  all  killed,  and  the  Confederates  were  un 
able  to  run  off  the  guns  by  hand. 

Morton's  and  Muggins's  batteries,  which  had  been 
close  up  at  the  front,  were  barely  able  to  get  away  in 
the  face  of  a  Federal  charge  made  with  fixed  bayonets 
in  magnificent  style.  The  horses  of  one  gun  in  Hug- 
gins's  battery  wrere  all  killed  or  wounded,  but  Forrest 
quickly  utilized  the  horses  of  four  members  of  his 
escort  and  had  the  guns  dragged  off  to  a  place  of 
safety.  The  Federals,  under  General  Thomas,  had 
concentrated  five  divisions  in  front  of  Jay's  sawmill, 
and  throwing  up  solid  breastworks  were  enabled  to 
open  a  sweeping  fire  from  small  arms  and  artillery. 
Forrest  had  as  yet  only  two  small  divisions  of  cavalry, 
including  Armstrong,  who  came  up  with  his  remaining 
brigade  about  one  o'clock,  less  than  thirty-five  hundred 
effectives  with  eight  guns,  and  four  of  Walker's  bri 
gades,  which  had  come  up  with  sixteen  guns  ;  altogether 
about  nine  thousand  and  seventy-five  men.  General 
W.  H.  T.  Walker  assumed  command  of  all  the  infan 
try.  This  combined  force  made  a  superb  charge  and 
broke  through  two  Federal  lines,  capturing  many  pris 
oners  from  as  many  as  seven  different  regiments,  and 
all  the  artillery  in  the  immediate  front.  But  a  third 
Federal  line  was  discovered  which  overlapped  the 
Confederates,  and  obliged  them  to  retreat  hastily. 


142  LIEUTENANT  GENERAL   FORREST. 

Meantime  Cheatham's  division  of  five  brigades — 
Jackson's,  Maney's,  Strahl's,  Preston  Smith's,  and 
Marcus  J.  Wright's,  of  Folk's  corps — had  crossed  the 
Chickamauga  about  7  A.  M.  at  Dalton's  Ford,  and 
moving  northward  a  short  distance,  remained  in  line  of 
battle  until  after  12  M.  At  a  late  hour  in  the  events 
of  the  day,  Cheatham  received  orders  to  reenforce 
Walker.  At  I  P.  M.  he  moved  to  the  right  and  took 
a  position  with  three  brigades  in  front — Jackson's, 
Smith's,  and  Wright's — and  the  two  others  in  reserve. 
Quickly  moving  his  Tennesseeans  to  the  front,  they 
were  soon  in'  conflict  with  the  movement  which  was 
pressing  back  Walker  and  Forrest.  The  sanguinary, 
fluctuating  fight  raged  for  several  hours,  Forrest  and 
Walker  continually  taking  part.  In  one  of  the  hottest 
places  Forrest  had  the  horse  killed  under  him  which 
was  presented  by  the  citizens  of  Rome,  Ga.  At  one  time 
the  Federals  were  forced  back  three-quarters  of  a 
mile,  but  with  reenforcements  were  able  to  turn  the 
tide  of  battle  once  more. 

Maney's  and  Strahl's  brigades  and  Turner's  North 
Carolina  battery,  supported  by  Major  John  W.  Dawson 
with  a  battalion  from  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty- 
fourth  Tennessee,  withstood  the  counter-movement 
successfully  for  a  time  until  Forrest  brought  up  two  of 
his  own  batteries,  Muggins's  and  Huwald's  eight  guns, 
with  the  Fourth  and  Eighth  regiments  and  Starnes's 
battalion  of  Dibbrell's  brigade,  and  opened  fire  on  the 
Federal  left  flank  at  a  range  of  only  eighty  yards,  and 
turned  back  the  solid  line  of  blue  that  had  been  sweep 
ing  everything  before  it.  The  battle,  although  not 
general,  and  covering  a  field  little  more  than  a  mile 
long  and  three-quarters  of  a  mile  wide,  had  raged 
nearly  all  day.  Rosecrans's  forces,  quite  in  contrast 
to  their  first  widely  scattered  positions  south  of  the 
Tennessee  River,  were  better  concentrated  and  more 


SPRING   HILL   TO  CHICKAMAUGA.  143 

methodically  pressed  into  the  fight  than  the  Confeder 
ates,  although  the  fortunes  of  the  day  seemed  at  times 
to  be  in  favor  of  the  latter,  and  at  nightfall  they  held 
more  ground  than  at  any  time  during  the  day. 

Cleburne's  division  of  Hill's  corps  was  held  east 
ward  of  Chickamauga  until  late  in  the  afternoon,  and 
then  ordered  to  cross  at  Thedfords  Ford  and  report  to 
General  Polk  and  thence  to  the  Confederate  right, 
where  a  line  was  formed  about  a  mile  long  facing  west 
ward  and  with  the  right  just  in  advance  of  Jay's  saw 
mill,  three  hundred  yards  in  rear  of  Cheatham.  At  six 
o'clock  these  two  divisions  were  ordered  to  attack 
across  the  battle-ground  of  the  day ;  Key's  and  Sem- 
ple's  batteries  were  run  up  within  sixty  yards  of  the 
Federal  lines,  and  opened  a  rapid  fire.  Folk's  brigade 
of  Cleburne's,  and  Jackson's  and  Smith's  of  Cheatham's 
divisions  were  also  pushed  to  the  front,  when  the 
Federal  divisions  under  Johnson  and  Baird  gave  way 
leaving  several  pieces  of  artillery  with  caissons,  and 
losing  also  three  hundred  prisoners  and  the  colors  of 
the  Seventy-seventh  Indiana  and  Seventy-ninth  Penn 
sylvania.  Cleburne  and  Cheatham  advanced  fully  a 
mile,  readjusted  their  lines,  and  bivouacked  upon  their 
arms.  In  this  engagement  the  Confederates  lost  one 
of  their  superior  brigade  commanders,  General  Pres 
ton  Smith,  and  at  the  same  time  two  of  his  gallant  and 
excellent  staff  officers,  Captain  John  Donelson,  his  ad 
jutant-general,  and  an  aide,  Captain  Thomas  H.  King. 

While  the  heavier  fighting  of  the  day  took  place 
on  the  Confederate  right  it  was  not  confined  to  this 
quarter.  Preston's  and  Stewart's  divisions  of  Buck- 
ner's  corps  crossed  Chickamauga  at  Thedfords  and 
Daltons  fords,  and  remained  in  line  of  battle  in  that 
neighborhood  until  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  latter 
was  ordered  to  the  right  with  no  specific  instructions. 
Clayton's  brigade  was  thrown  into  action,  and  in  one 


144  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

hour  lost  nearly  four  hundred  officers  and  men  killed 
and  wounded.  The  brigade  was  replaced  by  John  C. 
Brown's  Tennesseeans,  who  forced  back  the  Federal 
lines  and  captured  eight  rifled  guns,  five  of  which  were 
carried  off  the  field.  Bates's  brigade  was  next  thrown 
in,  and  in  conjunction  with  Clayton's  pushed  the  Fed 
erals  across  the  Chattanooga  road,  but  near  sunset  fell 
back,  bringing  some  captured  artillery  and  several  hun 
dred  prisoners,  including  a  lieutenant-colonel  of  the 
staff  of  Major-General  Thomas.  The  loss  of  these 
brigades  was  severe. 

The  battle  had  extended  farther  to  the  left  also. 
Preston's  division  of  Buckner's  corps,  and  Bushrod 
Johnson's  and  McLean's  of  Hood's  corps,  after  re 
maining  in  line  of  battle  about  a  thousand  yards  east 
ward  of  Vinyard's  house  from  7  A.  M.  to  2  P.  M.,  sus 
tained  an  attack  which,  with  the  aid  of  Bledsoe's  and 
Everett's  batteries,  was  repulsed.  Bushrod  Johnson 
was  ordered  to  attack  in  return.  A  stubborn  engage 
ment  ensued,  and  the  Federals  were  driven  across  the 
road  and  Fulton's  brigade  of  Tennesseeans  made  a  suc 
cessful  flank  movement  on  a  battery,  Lieutenant-Colo 
nel  R.  B.  Snowden,  of  the  Twenty-fifth  Tennessee, 
leading  the  charge.  This  was  soon  repulsed  and  the 
brigade  fell  back  rapidly  east  of  the  road,  leaving 
seventy-five  prisoners  of  the  Twenty-seventh  Tennes 
see  and  the  captured  guns,  but  a  rally  was  made  and 
the  advancing  column  was  again  driven  westward  of 
the  road.  About  3  P.  M.  Trigg's  brigade  of  Preston's 
division  was  sent  to  Buckner  to  support  Robertson's 
Texans  of  McLean's  division.  The  Federals  were 
forced  into  their  works,  but  soon  opened  a  galling  fire 
which  was  most  disastrous,  especially  to  the  Sixth 
Florida,  and  the  Confederates  fell  back  as  darkness 
came  on,  and  without  going  very  far  rested  on  their 
arms  for  the  night. 


SPRING    HILL   TO   CHICKAMAUGA.  145 

The  Federal  divisions  mostly  engaged  that  day 
were  Thomas's,  Davis's,  McCook's,  and  Wood's,  of 
Crittenden's  corps,  with  a  brigade  of  Sheridan's  divi 
sion  that  came  up  last  and,  as  General  Rosecrans 
says,  saved  Wood's  division  from  disaster.  Brannan 
also  came  upon  the  field  late  in  the  afternoon.  The 
Federal  army-corps  were  all  engaged,  except  two  divi 
sions  of  Sheridan's  corps  and  Mitchell's  cavalry,  and 
they  were  brought  squarely  into  action.  The  Confed 
erates  were  fought  by  detail  and,  while  making  many 
splendid  dashes,  were  often  at  a  disadvantage  in  the 
face  of  superior  numbers.  There  was  a  fatal  want  of 
concentration.  About  twelve  thousand  veterans  of  the 
infantry  were  not  engaged  at  all.  Breckenridge's  di 
vision,  three  thousand  seven  hundred  and  sixty-nine 
rank  and  file,  was  ordered  across  the  Chickamauga  so 
late  as  to  enable  it  to  reach  a  position  in  the  rear  of 
Cleburne  only  at  eleven  o'clock  at  night.  Hindman's 
division,  five  thousand  six  hundred  and  twenty-one 
bayonets,  aggregate  six  thousand  one  hundred  and  two. 
also  remained  eastward  of  the  creek  until  the  middle 
of  the  afternoon,  and  reached  the  scene  of  Bushrod  R. 
Johnson's  fighting  after  sunset.  Two  of  Preston's  bri 
gades,  three  thousand  effectives,  were  likewise  unem 
ployed.  During  the  day  General  Thomas  moved  still 
nearer  Chattanooga  as  a  wise  military  precaution,  and 
threw  up  heavy  earthworks  at  night. 

A  little  after  daylight,  on  Sunday,  September  2oth, 
Breckenridge  moved  up  and  took  a  position  on  Cle- 
burne's  right.  This  now  became  the  extreme  right  of 
infantry,  with  Forrest,  as  usual,  on  the  flank.  Lieu- 
tenant-General  Longstreet  arrived  at  Catoosa  Station 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  iQth,  and  at  n  P.  M.  reported 
at  army  headquarters.  The  plan  of  battle  for  next 
day  was  explained  to  him  by  General  Bragg.  The  right 
rrand  division  was  to  be  commanded  bv  Lieutenant- 


146  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

General  Polk.  This  embraced  Hill's  corps,  Walker's 
reserve  corps,  and  Cheatham's  division  of  his  own 
corps,  covered  on  the  right  flank  by  Forrest's  two  cav 
alry  divisions,  Armstrong's  and  Pegram's.  The  left 
grand  division  was  to  be  commanded  by  Longstreet. 
This  was  composed  of  Buckner's  corps,  Hindman's 
division  of  Folk's  corps,  Bushrod  R.  Johnson's  pro 
visional  division,  and  Hood's  and  McLaws's  divisions 
of  Longstreet's  own  corps.  The  battle  was  to  open 
early  in  the  morning  on  the  right,  to  be  followed  in 
succession  toward  the  left.  These  orders  were  not 
communicated  to  General  Hill,  who  was  only  apprised 
of  the  facts  at  8  A.  M.  by  General  Bragg  in  person.  By 
a  fatal  miscarriage  of  orders  the  attack  was  not  made 
until  9.30  A.  M.  Breckenridge  advanced  at  that  hour, 
and  by  ten  o'clock  was  fully  engaged.  Forrest's  com 
mand  stretched  northward  some  two  miles  to  the 
Chickamauga.  Scott  was  absent  watching  the  move 
ments  of  Granger.  Hindman's  division  was  on  the 
extreme  left,  and  next  on  the  right  was  Bushrod  R. 
Johnson's  division  drawn  up  in  several  lines ;  Wheeler 
covered  that  flank  and  watched  the  passes  and  fords. 

Armstrong's  division  was  dismounted  to  fight  as 
infantry,  with  the  exception  of  the  First  Tennessee 
and  McDonald's  battalion,  retained  as  cavalry.  For 
rest  advanced  with  Pegram's  division  in  reserve,  and 
within  half  a  mile  struck  a  brigade  of  Baird's  division 
and  was  soon  in  a  warm  skirmish  about  the  time  that 
Breckenridge  became  heavily  engaged.  The  Kentuck- 
ians  fought  desperately  and  lost  heavily.  Here  fell 
mortally  wounded  Brigadier-General  Ben  Hardin 
Helm,  an  accomplished  and  almost  idolized  com 
mander.  The  Second  and  Ninth  Kentucky  and  three 
companies  of  the  Forty-first  Alabama  were  engaged 
in  this  bloody  affair.  The  remainder  of  the  brigade 
advanced  across  the  Chattanooga  road,  captured  a  sec- 


SPRING    HILL    TO   CHICKAMAUGA.  147 

tion  of  Napoleon  guns  and  retired,  and  rejoined  other 
regiments  of  the  brigade  to  the  rearward.  In  two 
hours'  hard  fighting  the  Kentuckians  suffered  terrible 
losses,  and  General  Breckenridge  spoke  of  it  as  "  one 
of  the  bloodiest  encounters  of  the  day."  Meantime 
there  was  heavy  fighting  farther  on  the  left  with  vary 
ing  results,  while  Forrest  and  Armstrong  moved  for 
ward  on  the  right  and,  meeting  little  resistance,  soon 
passed  the  alinement  of  infantry. 

Being  reenforced  by  Adams's  and  Stovall's  brigades 
of  Breckenridge's  division,  the  Confederate  cavalry 
presented  a  formidable  front.  General  Thomas  called 
for  help,  which  was  ordered  from  Rosecrans's  right. 
At  this  instant  Gordon  Granger's  corps  came  in  sight 
at  a  double-quick,  this  being  the  reserve  of  the  Army 
of  Tennessee.  Forrest  opened  on  the  column  with 
three  batteries  and  retarded  Granger's  march  for  an 
hour  until  reenforcements  came  to  him  from  Thomas. 
After  further  fighting  at  close  range  Granger  was 
enabled  to  join  the  main  command.  Owing  to  the 
fierceness  of  the  Confederate  attack  on  the  right, 
although  begun  at  a  late  hour  and  in  an  irregular  man 
ner,  Rosecrans  was  compelled  to  draw  reenforcements 
from  his  right  and  thus  weaken  his  lines  to  the  south. 
This  gave  Longstreet  an  opportunity  of  which  he  was 
prompt  to  take  advantage.  The  battle  in  that  direction 
was  decidedly  in  favor  of  the  Confederates,  although 
the  losses  were  terrible  on  both  sides. 

The  Confederates  on  the  right  had  been  hurled 
against  well-manned  breastworks  and  superior  num 
bers  all  day,  and  the  advantages,  gained  by  Forrest  and 
Breckenridge  at  times  were  only  temporary.  It  was 
all  important  for  the  Federals  to  keep  an  open  road  to 
Chattanooga.  The  accession  of  Granger's  force  added 
forty-five  hundred  fresh  bayonets  and  twelve  guns  to 
Thomas,  and  at  the  last  he  had  fully  eight  divisions, 


148  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

thirty-five  thousand  strong,  under  his  ever  watchful 
and  vigorous  command.  At  one  time  in  the  afternoon 
there  was  a  lull  in  the  operations  of  the  right  Confed 
erate  wing  of  fully  two  hours,  caused  by  some  lack  in 
active  management.  This  only  gave  Thomas  the  more 
time  to  strengthen  his  position.  Some  of  the  hardest 
and  best  fighting  on  the  right  was  done  by  Forrest's 
old  brigade,  Armstrong's  and  Dibbrell's.  Late  in  the 
afternoon  there  was  superb  work  done  by  Brecken- 
ridge's,  Liddell's,  Cleburne's,  and  Cheatham's  divi 
sions.  All  monuments  erected  in  Chickamauga  Park  to 
the  Federal  dead  are,  in  a  reflected  light,  monuments 
to  their  foes  who  fell  wearing  the  gray.  For  without 
the  latter  the  other  would  never  have  lived  in  history 
or  been  wrought  into  speaking  figures  by  the  sculptor. 
The  Federal  right  wing  was  routed,  and  the  Con 
federates  under  Stewart,  Bushrod  Johnson,  Hindman, 
Buckner,  and  others,  under  the  masterful  direction  of 
Longstreet,  occupied  the  gap  in  their  lines  and  hurried 
the  fleeing  masses  toward  Chattanooga.  Forty  cannon 
were  captured,  three  thousand  prisoners,  and  ten  regi 
mental  colors.  The  Confederate  losses  were  propor 
tionately  heavy,  being  one  thousand  and  eighty-nine 
officers  and  men  killed,  six  thousand  four  hundred  and 
six  wounded,  and  two  hundred  and  seventy-two  miss 
ing,  an  aggregate  of  seven  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
sixty-seven  out  of  twenty-two  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  eighty-two  officers  and  men  engaged.*  At  night 
fall  Longstreet's  forces  bivouacked  on  the  field  and 
filled  ammunition-boxes,  expecting  to  go  in  pursuit  of 
the  enemy  early  next  -morning.  It  should  be  added 
that  Wheeler  operated  actively  and  effectively  on  the 
left,  and  late  in  the  afternoon  followed  the  fleeing  Fed 
erals  and  captured  about  one  thousand  prisoners. 

*  Longstreet's  report. 


SPRING   HILL   TO   CHICKAMAUGA.  149 

Forrest  says  of  the  final  assault  made  on  the  right 
on  the  2Oth,  that  he  "  employed  fourteen  pieces  of 
artillery,  terminating  on  the  right  flank  the  battle  of 
Chickamauga.  My  command  was  kept  on  the  field  on 
the  night  of  the  2Oth,  and  men  and  horses  suffered 
greatly  for  want  of  water.  The  men  were  without 
rations,  and  the  horses  had  only  received  a  partial  feed 
once  during  the  two  days'  engagement."  General  D. 
H.  Hill,  who  first  saw  Forrest  on  the  field  early  that 
morning,  complimented  him  in  the  highest  terms  of 
eulogy,  and  said :  "  I  would  ask  no  better  fortune,  if 
again  placed  on  a  flank,  than  to  have  such  a  vigilant, 
gallant,  and  accomplished  officer  guarding  its  ap 
proaches,"  etc.  The  fleeing  Federals  from  the  right 
made  undignified  haste  in  the  direction  of  Chattanooga, 
twelve  miles  distant,  carrying  with  them  their  com- 
mander-in-chief,  General  Rosecrans,  two  corps  com 
manders,  McCook  and  Crittenden,  and  Assistant- 
Secretary  of  War  Charles  A.  Dana,  who  was  repre 
senting  the  President  of  the  United  States  and  the 
Secretary  of  War  on  the  field.  Thomas  held  his 
troops  together  at  Snodgrass  Hill,  and  followed  more 
leisurely.  Mr.  Dana  sent  a  sensational  telegram  to 
Mr.  Stanton,  comparing  Chickamauga  to  Bull  Run. 
He  had  been  on  the  right  wing,  and  subsequently  modi 
fied  his  despatch.  Many  years  afterward  he  wrote  a 
description  of  the  battle,  and  spoke  of  making  his  way 
into  Chattanooga  "  through  a  panic-stricken  rabble." 
Forrest  and  his  men  slept  near  where  the  last  fighting 
occurred  that  Sunday  evening,  and  at  four  o'clock  on 
Monday  morning,  the  2ist,  with  General  Armstrong 
and  a  strong  advance-guard,  moved  toward  Chatta 
nooga  on  the  Lafayette  road.  Nearing  Rossville,  they 
charged  with  their  four  hundred  troopers  upon  a  Fed 
eral  rear-guard  of  cavalry.  The  latter  fired  a  volley 
and  fled  toward  Chattanooga  at  full  speed.  In  this 


ISO  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

charge  Forrest's  horse  was  mortally  wounded  and  soon 
fell  dead. 

At  the  end  of  the  pursuit  the  Confederates  were 
on  a  spur  of  Missionary  Ridge,  and  captured  four  Fed 
erals  out  of  trees  where  they  had  been  stationed  as 
observers.  Taking  a  pair  of  glasses  from  one  of  these 
Forrest  mounted  to  the  platform  in  a  tree-top  from 
whence  he  had  a  good  view  of  the  town  and  valley  of 
Chattanooga  and  surrounding  mountains,  and  while 
standing  there  in  the  observer's  place,  he  dictated  to 
Major  Charles  W.  Anderson  a  despatch  to  General 
Polk  to  be  forwarded  to  General  Bragg,  giving  his 
impressions.  These  may  have  been  optimistic,  but 
they  possibly  had  the  effect  of  changing  the  plans 
of  the  Confederate  commander-in-chief,  that  is,  if  he 
intended  to  pursue  or  attempt  to  flank  the  Federals. 
It  was  certain  that  Rosecrans's  army  was  crowd 
ing  into  Chattanooga,  and  there  was  evidence  of  a 
retreat  back  across  the  Tennessee  River.  The  streets 
of  the  town  were  blocked  with  a  floundering  mass  of 
troops,  artillery,  army  wagons,  ambulances,  and  beef 
cattle. 

Coming  down  from  the  tree  Forrest  dictated  various 
other  despatches  to  Bragg  and  Polk  giving  his  views 
of  the  situation.  Then  he  moved  forward  and  north 
ward  to  a  point  within  four  miles  of  Chattanooga  over 
looking  the  place,  and  found  a  Federal  force  too  strong 
to  be  assaulted  by  his  men.  McLemore  led  the  Fourth 
Tennessee  to  a  point  within  three  miles  of  Chattanooga. 
This  was  the  Confederate  high-water  mark  from  the 
raging  tides  of  the  bloody  battle  of  Chickamauga. 
McLemore  could  have  been  easily  captured  by  the 
Federals  if  they  had  not  been  hastening  to  join  the 
main  force.  He  captured  numerous  prisoners,  and 
was  recalled  by  General  Forrest,  who  had  seen  a  de 
moralized  army  crowding  into  Chattanooga,  and  look- 


SPRING   HILL   TO   CHICKAMAUGA.  15 1 

ing  back  saw  the  Confederate  army  lying  listless  and 
torpid  after  two  days'  battle. 

This  was  not  his  idea  of  war.  He  would  have 
thrown  Bragg's  entire  force  on  Chattanooga,  and  was 
deeply  chagrined  at  the  policy  of  inaction,  but  General 
Bragg  sent  him  word  that  he  had  set  his  infantry  in 
motion  toward  Chattanooga  by  the  Red  House  Bridge 
road,  all  the  approaches  to  which  were  to  be  picketed 
by  his  cavalry.  At  ten  o'clock  that  evening  he  called  at 
General  Bragg's  headquarters  and  was  assured  that  a 
general  advance  would  be  made  next  morning.  For 
rest  assembled  his  force  at  8  A.  M.  on  the  22d,  on  Mis 
sionary  Ridge,  and  seeing  no  signs  of  an  advance 
moved  down  into  the  valley  of  the  Chattanooga  and 
drove  back  the  Federal  cavalry  and  infantry  pickets 
to  within  half  a  mile  of  the  town.  His  men  were  dis 
mounted  and  extended  in  a  line  nearly  two  miles  long. 
After  that  different  roads  were  occupied  and  picketed. 
Dibbrell  sustained  a  loss  of  several  officers  and  fifty 
or  sixty  of  his  men  killed  and  wounded  in  seizing  the 
road  around  the  northern  end  of  Lookout  Mountain. 
McLaws's  division  of  Longstreet's  corps  came  up  at 
one  o'clock,  but  merely  to  serve  on  picket  duty.  For 
rest  urged  General  McLaws  to  join  him  in  an  attack 
upon  the  still  demoralized  enemy,  but  he  declined  upon 
the  ground  that  his  orders  would  not  permit  it.  Sev 
eral  attempts  were  made  during  the  day  to  dislodge 
Dibbrell,  and  he  only  held  on  by  fighting  hard  with 
his  men  dismounted.  He  had  the  Fourth,  Eighth, 
Tenth,  and  Eleventh  Tennessee  regiments  and  Starnes's 
battalion,  and  he  was  not  relieved  until  12  M.  the 
next  day,  although  Forrest  had  repeatedly  asked  for 
an  infantry  brigade  to  take  the  place.  His  lines  ex 
tended  from  Lookout  Mountain  on  the  west  to  the 
Tennessee  River  on  the  east,  and  his  troops  and  horses 
were  quite  worn  out  and  weak  from  hunger.  On  the 
n 


152  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

23d  the  command  was  ordered  to  Tyners  Station  on 
the  railroad,  some  nine  miles  east  of  Chattanooga,  to 
find  food  and  forage. 

This  practically  ended  Forrest's  connection  with 
the  Army  of  Tennessee  under  General  Bragg,  although 
he  did  not  withdraw  at  once.  He  had  expressed  him 
self  rather  freely  in  regard  to  Bragg's  failure  to  follow 
up  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  which  doubtless  came 
to  the  latter's  ears.  So  in  Bragg's  report  of  Decem 
ber  28th  he  merely  said  :  "  Brigadier-General  Forrest's 
report  will  show  equally  gallant  and  valuable  services 
by  his  command  on  our  right."  A  few  days  later  For 
rest  was  relieved  of  his  command,  and  this  was  ac 
cepted  as  an  evidence  of  General  Bragg's  displeasure. 


CHAPTER  X. 

IN     A     NEW     FIELD. PROMOTED     TO     MAJOR-GENERAL. 

ONLY  twenty-four  hours  were  allowed  the  com 
mand  to  rest  at  Tyners  Station  when,  in  accordance 
with  definite  orders  received  from  army  headquarters, 
it  was  again  set  in  motion.  Pegram's  and  Scott's 
brigades  and  Rucker's  Legion  were  detached  to  picket 
the  Tennessee  eastward  to  Hiwassee  River,  forty 
miles  above  Chattanooga,  while  Forrest  was  to  take 
Armstrong's  and  Davidson's  brigades  and  move  be 
yond  to  check  a  movement  under  Burnside  supposed 
to  be  coming  from  Knoxville.  He  was  reenforced  at 
Cleveland  by  Hodge's  brigade,  eight  hundred  strong, 
and  passed  on  to  Charleston,  twelve  miles  distant. 
Throwing  Davidson  to  the  right  and  Armstrong  to 
the  left,  he  moved  forward  on  the  main  road.  With 
Dibbrell's  and  Hodge's  brigades  and  Morton's  and 
Huggins's  batteries,  he  drove  in  the  pickets  encountered, 
and  under  cover  of  eight  guns  rushed  his  men  across 
the  Hiwassee  at  Charleston  and  forced  the  Federals 
from  their  positions  on  the  east  side.  In  this  dash  the 
Confederates  reported  eight  or  ten  killed  and  wounded, 
while  the  Federal  loss  was  supposed  to  be  much  larger. 
Armstrong  came  in  on  the  left  and  joined  in  the  pur 
suit  for  five  or  six  miles.  A  running  fight  continued 
from  Charleston  to  Loudon,  a  distance  of  forty-one 
miles,  and  some  sharp  engagements  occurred  at  several 
points. 

An  order  overtook  Forrest  at  Loudon  which 

153 


154  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

changed  the  course  of  his  life.  The  commanding-  gen 
eral  could  well  be  charged  with  having  nursed  his 
wrath  and  his  deep-seated  dislike  until  the  aggressive 
brigadier-general  was  well  and  safely  out  of  sight.  He 
chose  a  time  to  deliver  a  blow  which  would  have  been 
fatal  to  most  men  of  Forrest's  rank.  The  order  was 
as  follows : 

MISSIONARY  RIDGE,  September  28,  1863. 
Brigadier-General  FORREST,  near  Athens. 

GENERAL  :  The  general  commanding  desires  that  you 
will,  without  delay,  turn  over  the  troops  of  your  command 
previously  ordered  to  Major-General  Wheeler. 

This  was  construed  as  a  direct  personal  thrust. 
Forrest  was  on  good  terms  with  General  Wheeler 
socially,  but  he  had  never  recanted  the  vow  he  made 
on  the  evening  of  the  Dover  affair. 

Falling  back  at  once  to  Cleveland  he  turned  over  all 
of  his  command  to  General  Wheeler  except  DibbrelFs 
brigade  and  Muggins's  battery,  which  he  was  allowed 
to  retain  for  the  time  being.  He  dictated  a  vigorous 
protest  to  General  Bragg  and  followed  this  up  by  a 
visit  in  person,  during  which  he  indulged  in  language 
of  denunciation  to  which  the  ears  of  the  commander-in- 
chief  were  unused.  Dr.  J.  B.  Cowan,  who  accompanied 
Forrest  when  he  called  upon  General  Bragg,  without 
being  informed  as  to  the  object  of  the  visit  in  advance, 
states  (1902)  that  Forrest  refused  to  take  Bragg's 
offered  hand  and  denounced  him  in  the  strongest  pos 
sible  language  for  having  relieved  him  for  the  third 
time  of  his  command.  Forrest  said  in  part : 

"  You  commenced  your  cowardly  and  contemptible 
persecution  of  me  soon  after  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  and 
you  have  kept  it  up  ever  since.  You  did  it  because  I 
reported  to  Richmond  facts  while  you  reported  damned 
lies.  You  robbed  me  of  my  command  in  Kentucky  and 
gave  it  to  one  of  your  favorites — men  that  I  armed  and 


IN   A   NEW    FIELD.  155 

equipped  from  the  enemies  of  our  country.  In  a  spirit 
of  revenge  and  spite,  because  I  would  not  fawn  upon 
you  as  others  did,  you  drove  me  into  West  Tennessee 
in  the  winter  of  1862,  with  a  second  brigade  I  had  or 
ganized,  with  improper  arms  and  without  sufficient 
ammunition,  although  I  had  made  repeated  applicaT 
tions  for  the  same.  You  did  it  to  ruin  me  and  my 
career.  When  in  spite  of  this  I  returned  with  my  com 
mand  well  equipped  by  captures,  you  began  again  your 
work  of  spite  and  persecution,  and  have  kept  it  up ; 
and  now  this  second  brigade,  organized  without  trouble 
to  you  or  the  Government,  a  brigade  which  has  won  a 
reputation  for  successful  fighting  second  to  none  in  the 
army,  taking  advantage  of  your  position  as  command 
ing  general  in  order  to  further  humiliate  me,  you  have 
taken  these  brave  men  from  me.  I  have  stood  your 
meanness  as  long  as  I  intend  to.  You  have  played  the 
part  ,of  a  damned  scoundrel  and  are  a  coward,  and  if 
you  were  any  part  of  a  man  I  would  slap  your  jaws  and 
force  you  to  resent  it.  You  may  as  well  not  issue  any 
more  orders  to  me  for  I  will  not  obey  them,  and  I  will 
hold  you  personally  responsible  for  any  further  indig 
nities  you  endeavor  to  inflict  upon  me.  You  have 
threatened  to  arrest  me  for  not  obeying  your  orders 
promptly.  I  dare  you  to  do  it !  And  I  say  to  you  that 
if  you  ever  again  try  to  interfere  with  me  or  cross  my 
path  it  will  be  at  the  peril  of  your  life."*  Bragg  sat 
down  on  a  stool  in  the  back  part  of  his  tent  and  lis 
tened  to  this  fierce  tirade  without  making  a  movement 
or  saying  a  word  in  reply ;  nor  did  he  order  Forrest's 
arrest  or  appear  to  take  any  further  notice  of  the  in 
cident,  but  that  he  cherished  a  strong  animosity  against 
Forrest  even  after  he  went  to  Richmond  was  demon- 

*  Wyeth's  Life  of  Forrest,  pp.  265,  266,  and  letter  from  Dr. 
James  B.  Cowan,  in  possession  of  the  author. 


IS  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

strated  in  various  ways.  Forrest  did  not  offer  to 
resign,  but  told  his  friends  that  he  would  do  so  and 
seek  a  new  field  rather  than  suffer  further  persecution. 
He  was  given  to  understand,  however,  that  his  com 
mand  would  be  restored  to  him  as  soon  as  General 
Wheeler  returned  from  a  move  in  the  rear  of  Rose- 
crans's  army.  Resting  upon  this  assurance  he  ob 
tained  a  leave  of  absence  for  ten  days  to  go  to  La 
Grange,  Ga.,  and  meet  his  wife  whom  he  had  not  seen 
for  eighteen  months.  Hardly  had  he  settled  down  to 
rest  at  La  Grange  when  he  received  an  order  dated 
October  3d  placing  him  directly  under  the  command 
of  Major-General  Wheeler.  Regarding  this  as  another 
personal  affront  and  abuse  of  power,  as  well  as  a 
flagrant  violation  of  former  assurances,  Forrest  was 
greatly  incensed  and  resolved  never  to  fight  again 
either  under  Wheeler  or  Bragg,  even  if  it  became  neces 
sary  to  resign  his  commission  and  seek  some  other 
field. 

Another  cause  of  this  rupture  may  be  found  in 
the  fact  that  as  early  as  August  9,  1863,  General  For 
rest,  while  stationed  at  Kingston,  East  Tennessee,  had 
written  to  General  S.  Cooper,  adjutant-general  at 
Richmond,  proposing  and  asking  permission  to  re 
cruit  a  large  force  within  the  enemy's  lines  for  the 
purpose  of  interrupting  the  navigation  of  the  Missis 
sippi  River  between  Cairo  and  Vicksburg.  As  a  nu 
cleus  he  wished  to  have  about  four  hundred  and  fifty 
men  from  his  command,  his  escort  of  sixty,  McDon 
ald's  battalion  of  one  hundred  and  fifty,  the  Second 
Kentucky  Cavalry,  two  hundred  and  fifty,  and  four 
3-inch  Dahlgren  or  Parrott  guns  with  eight  No.  I 
horses  to  each  gun  and  caisson,  two  wagons  for  the 
battery,  one  pack-mule  to  every  ten  men,  and  two  hun 
dred  rounds  of  ammunition  for  small  arms  and  artil 
lery.  He  also  asked  that  Captain  W.  W.  Carnes,  of 


Map  of  Pontotoc  to  Corinth. 


IN   A   NEW   FIELD.  157 

Memphis,  connected  with  Bragg's  army,  be  detached 
to  command  the  battery.  This  communication  was 
sent  to  pass  through  General  Bragg,  and  may  have 
given  offense.  Ten  days  later  a  copy  was  sent 
direct  to  President  Davis  but  no  action  was  taken. 
With  such  a  commission  and  force  as  Forrest  de 
sired  he  could  have  given  great  trouble.  Bragg 
could  not  afford  to  give  up  such  a  man,  and  the  value 
of  his  practical  ideas  was  not  understood  at  Rich 
mond. 

Mr.  Davis  was,  however,  very  favorably  inclined 
toward  Forrest,  and  coming  upon  the  scene  about  the 
time  of  the  disagreement  proved  to  be  his  stanch 
friend.  He  would  not  entertain  the  idea  of  a  resig 
nation,  but  wrote  Forrest  a  gracious  and  encouraging 
letter,  appointing  a  day  for  a  meeting  at  Montgomery, 
Ala.,  when  he  should  have  returned  from  a  trip  to 
Mississippi.  They  met  and  had  a  long  and  satisfactory 
conference.  Forrest  was  assured  that  he  should  be 
transferred  to  north  Mississippi  with  such  forces  as 
General  Bragg  had  to  spare.  Forrest  traveled  with 
President  Davis  and  suite  as  far  as  Atlanta  and  pro 
ceeded  thence  directly  to  headquarters.  General  Bragg 
promised  him  that  he  should  have  for  his  new  field  of 
action  besides  his  escort  company,  McDonald's  and 
Woodward's  battalions,  but  the  written  order  received 
next  morning  withheld  Woodward's  battalion.  The 
parting  of  Forrest  from  his  old  command,  with  which 
he  had  shared  so  many  dangers  and  hardships,  was 
very  trying  and  touching  after  such  a  long  and  close 
association. 

The  pathetically  small  force  starting  with  Forrest 
to  Mississippi  consisted  of  the  field  and  staff,  eight ; 
escort  company,  sixty-five ;  McDonald's  battalion,  one 
hundred  and  thirty-nine ;  Captain  J.  W.  Morton's  bat 
tery,  sixty-seven ;  total,  two  hundred  and  seventy- 


158  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

nine.*  Proceeding  directly  to  Rome  the  command  was 
detained  a  few  days  in  preparing  for  the  march  across 
the  country  by  way  of  Talladega,  Tuscaloosa,  and 
Columbus  to  Okolona,  Miss.,  and  arrived  at  the  latter 
place  about  the  middle  of  November.  The  troops  of 
Forrest's  old  command  remaining  with  the  army  gave 
up  their  leader  with  deep  regret.  The  Fourth,  Eighth, 
Tenth,  and  Eleventh  Tennessee  Cavalry  had  been  or 
ganized  by  him  as  a  brigade  and  commanded  by  him 
in  his  West  Tennessee  raid  the  year  before,  at  Thomp 
sons  Station  and  in  the  capture  of  Streight's  com 
mand,  and  in  various  engagements.  These  and  other 
troops  united  in  a  petition  to  General  Bragg  praying 
that  they  might  also  be  transferred  with  General  For 
rest,  if  consistent  with  the  welfare  of  the  service.  But 
the  general  was  not  able,  even  if  he  had  been  willing, 
to  give  up  so  much  cavalry  from  the  main  body  of  the 
army. 

While  the  small  force  already  mentioned  was 
marching  through  the  country,  Forrest,  without  a 
brigade,  went  around  by  rail,  and  reached  Okolona  on 
the  1 5th  of  November  and  found  a  few  of  his  veterans 
already  there.  On  the  way  he  had  stopped  to  have  a 
conference  with  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  who  gave 
him  a  hearty  welcome  to  his  department,  approved  his 
plans,  and  issued  orders  to  General  Stephen  D.  Lee, 
chief  of  cavalry,  to  support  him  as  far  as  possible  in 
all  his  projects. 

At  that  time  there  were  only  three  small  Confeder 
ate  cavalry  brigades  in  north  Mississippi.  These  fur 
nished  details  for  a  line  of  outposts  from  Panola 
eastward  to  the  south  bank  of  Tallahatchie  River,  by 
way  of  Rocky  Ford  to  Saltillo  or  Baldwin  on  the 
Mobile  and  Ohio  Railroad,  with  scouts  well  out  in 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxi,  part  iii,  p.  646. 


IN   A    NEW    FIELD.  159 

front  to  watch  hostile  movements  of  the  enemy.  One 
of  these  brigades  was  subdivided  into  semibrigades 
under  Colonels  McCulloch  and  Slemmons,  commanded 
by  General  James  R.  Chalmers  on  the  left,  while 
Brigadier-General  Ferguson  and  Colonel  Ross  with 
their  brigades  went  to  the  right  of  Rocky  Ford.  The 
Federals  had  strong  forces  at  Memphis  and  Corinth, 
and  well-defended  posts  between  these  two  points, 
some  ninety  miles  apart,  on  the  Memphis  and  Charles 
ton  Railroad,  and  could  easily  and  rapidly  throw 
troops  from  one  place  to  another.  They  had  at  least 
ten  thousand  available  men.  There  was  supposed  to  be 
another  Confederate  brigade  at  Okolona,  under  Colonel 
R.  V.  Richardson,  but  instead  of  being  two  thousand 
strong,  as  appeared  on  paper,  it  numbered  only  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty.  Colonel  Richardson  could  only 
produce  two  hundred  and  seventy-one  guns,  one  hun 
dred  and  fifty-one  pistols,  and  two  hundred  and  forty- 
seven  horses  fit  for  duty.  He  explained  that  he  had 
brought  many  of  the  men  out  of  West  Tennessee  in 
the  summer  and  that  they  had  gone  back  without  per 
mission  to  secure  heavier  clothing  and  had  taken  with 
them  five  hundred  and  seventeen  rifles.  Another  regi 
ment  was  promised  Forrest,  but  it  reported  at  Okolona 
with  only  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  and  one-fourth  of 
these  were  without  arms.  Forrest's  own  force  had  been 
reduced  by  want  of  mounts  and  by  sickness  and 
fatigue  to  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  rank  and  file. 
To  this  was  added  four  hundred  raw  troops  who  had 
never  smelled  gunpowder  in  battle,  yet  most  of  these 
ultimately  became  very  effective  soldiers. 

Forrest's  plan  was  to  break  through  the  strongly 
fortified  line  of  the  Memphis  and  Charleston  Railroad, 
go  into  West  Tennessee  and  collect  supplies  and  re 
cruits  to  be  rushed  back  the  same  way,  and  he  was  not 
deterred  by  the  insignificance  of  his  command.  He 


I 

l6o  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

had  confidence  that  once  inside  of  the  lines  he  could 
rally  the  fighting  element  in  sufficient  strength  to  or 
ganize  an  effective  force.  General  S.  D.  Lee  was  to 
cover  the  movement,  and  assembled  two  brigades  at 
New  Albany.  Generals  Forrest  and  Lee  and  Colonel 
Richardson  met  there  on  the  2Qth  of  November.  It 
had  been  raining  for  over  a  month  and  all  the  streams 
were  overflowing. 

A  bridge  had  to  be  built  across  the  Tallahatchie, 
and  the  passage  was  not  effected  until  the  3d  of  De 
cember.  Ferguson  led  his  own  and  Ross's  brigades 
northward  by  way  of  Ripley ;  Chalmers  with  a  demi- 
brigade  under  McCulloch  crossed  at  Rocky  Ford  to 
join  Ferguson,  and  Slemmons  crossed  at  Panola  and 
was  advancing  to  threaten  the  railroad  westward  from 
La  Grange.  Ferguson  approaching  Saulsbury,  seven 
miles  eastward  of  La  Grange,  encountered  a  picket- 
post  four  miles  south  of  the  place,  and  pressed  forward 
upon  the  main  body.  Morton's  artillery  opened  fire 
briskly ;  the  way  was  clear  for  Forrest  to  pass  over  the 
danger  line,  and  parting  company  with  General  Lee 
and  his  force,  he  boldly  led  his  little  band  into  West 
Tennessee.  He  had  nothing  to  retard  his  progress  but 
two  guns  of  Morton's  battery  and  five  light  ordnance 
wagons. 

Pushing  on  with  scouts  well  thrown  out  he  reached 
Van  Buren,  ten  miles  from  the  railroad,  and  camped 
there  that  evening.  The  scouts  reported  no  pursuit  in 
sight.  Moving  on,  Forrest  reached  Bolivar  at  8  A.  M. 
on  the  5th,  where  he  and  his  men  were  welcomed  with 
demonstrations  of  great  joy.  Resting  only  two  hours, 
during  which  time  an  old  bridge  was  repaired  so  as  to 
afford  a  means  of  crossing  the  Hatchie,  he  was  again 
on  the  move.  Scouts  were  thrown  toward  Memphis 
and  Corinth  to  report  any  hostile  movements  intended 
to  cut  off  his  retreat.  Late  in  the  afternoon  of  the 


IN   A   NEW   FIELD.  l6l 

6th  he  reached  Jackson  and  was  welcomed  by  the  en 
tire  population,  and  as  his  coming  was  expected  am 
ple  forage  and  subsistence  were  found  already  prepared. 
There  he  found  Colonel  Tyree  H.  Bell,  whom  he  had 
known  in  Bragg's  army,  and  who  had  been  sent  within 
the  lines  with  a  small  detachment  to  give  it  out  that 
Forrest  was  coming  to  occupy  West  Tennessee  per 
manently,  and  to  stir  up  those  who  had  been  sent  into 
that  section  of  the  State  to  raise  commands  or  gather 
up  absentees  from  the  army ;  and  Colonel  Bell,  who  had 
been  senior  colonel  of  Preston  Smith's  brigade,  was 
well  calculated  to  rally  the  people  and  render  valuable 
assistance  to  Forrest. 

Three  regiments  were  rapidly  recruited  and  organ 
ized,  and  although  not  armed  were  eventually  marched 
out  under  Colonels  A.  N.  Wilson,  John  T.  Newsom, 
R.  M.  Russell,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  D.  M.  Wisdom, 
veterans  who  had  already  seen  much  service  in  other 
commands.  Colonel  C.  R.  Barteau's  Second  Tennes 
see  regiment  was  afterward  joined  with  these  regi 
ments,  forming  a  brigade  of  which  Colonel  Tyree  H. 
Bell  became  commander.  Forrest  had  not  reckoned 
without  his  host,  for  as  early  as  the  6th  of  December, 
he  advised  General  Johnston  from  Jackson  that  he  was 
highly  pleased  with  the  prospect ;  that  he  had  gathered 
together  about  five  thousand  men,  and  if  not  molested 
he  thought  by  the  first  of  January  he  could  put  about 
eight  thousand  effective  troops  in  the  field. 

The  Federal  authorities  were  quick  to  learn  of 
Forrest's  coming,  even  before  he  crossed  the  Talla- 
hatchie.  At  first  the  movement  was  treated  rather  in 
differently,  but  as  recruiting  stations  were  soon  estab 
lished  in  out-of-the-way  places  in  nearly  every  county 
of  West  Tennessee  and  some  in  Kentucky,  vigorous 
measures  were  resolved  upon  by  Generals  Grant  and 
Sherman  to  kill,  capture,  or  expel  the  intruders.  Ex- 


l62  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

peditions  were  formed  against  Forrest  at  Columbus, 
Ky.,  and  Fort  Pillow.  It  was  not  these  he  dreaded 
so  much,  but  others  that  might  come  out  from  Mem 
phis  or  some  other  point  on  the  railroad  in  his  rear. 
He  requested  that  General  Stephen  D.  Lee  with  all  the 
cavalry  that  could  be  spared  be  brought  up  to  West 
Tennessee  with  arms  and  ammunition  needed  for  the 
new  troops.  He  believed  if  this  was  done  the  Mem 
phis  and  Charleston  Railroad  could  be  destroyed  and 
five  or  six  thousand  head  of  beef  cattle  driven  out  for 
the  use  of  the  army,  and  added :  "  If  I  hear  that  he  is 
coming  to  help  me  I  will  build  a  pontoon  bridge  across 
the  Hatchie  and  will  have  the  cattle  gathered  up  by 
the  time  he  can  reach  me.  I  am  in  great  need  of  money 
and  have  had  to  advance  my  quartermaster  and  com 
missary  $20,000  of  my  private  funds  to  subsist  the 
command  thus  far.* 

He  also  sent  an  aide-de-camp,  Major  M.  C.  Galla- 
way,  to  Richmond,  to  impress  upon  the  President  the 
importance  of  destroying  the  Memphis  and  Charleston 
Railroad  and  blockading  the  Tennessee  River  in  order 
to  make  sure  of  holding  the  granaries  and  cattle  of 
West  Tennessee  for  the  supply  of  the  army,  and  also 
asked  that  Generals  Pillow  and  Armstrong  be  sent  to 
his  assistance.  These  requests  were  unheeded,  but 
President  Davis  was  not  unmindful  of  Forrest's  serv 
ices  and  merits,  and  on  the  I3th  of  December  in  a 
communication  to  General  Johnston  said :  "  Brigadier- 
General  Forrest  is  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major-gen 
eral,  and  will,  I  hope,  supply  your  wants  in  northern 
Mississippi  and  West  Tennessee  so  as  to  enable  you  to 
draw  Major-General  Lee  to  the  southern  portion  of 
your  department." 

The  Federal  forces  were  closing  in  from  different 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxi,  part  iii,  p.  489. 


IN   A   NEW   FIELD.  163 

directions ;  General  William  Sooy  Smith  was  reported 
to  be  coming  from  the  direction  of  Nashville  and 
Columbia;  General  A.  J.  Smith  from  Columbus,  Ky., 
and  General  Grierson  from  the  direction  of  Memphis 
were  moving  upon  Forrest,  and  Brigadier-General 
Crook  was  coming  from  Huntsville.  The  column  from 
Corinth  had  moved  as  far  as  Purdy  and  was  on  the  road 
to  Jacks  Creek.  Those  coming  from  the  northward 
were  as  far  south  as  Trenton  and  McLemoresville  by 
the  22d,  and  scouts  reported  a  cavalry  force  two  thou 
sand  strong  divided  between  Somerville  and  Bolivar, 
while  the  infantry  was  still  numerously  posted  on  the 
line  of  the  Memphis  and  Charleston  Railroad.  General 
Grierson  concentrated  nearly  all  of  his  command  at 
La  Grange,  a  favorable  point  for  heading  off  Forrest 
or  for  throwing  troops  up  and  down  the  railroad. 

Colonel  Richardson,  who  had  been  stationed  at 
Brownsville,  twenty-eight  miles  northwest  of  Jackson, 
had  recruited  his  force  to  one  thousand  men,  and  was 
ordered  on  the  22d  of  December  to  put  this  little 
brigade  in  motion  southward  and  cross  the  Hatchie 
at  Estenaula,  eighteen  miles  west  of  Jackson,  which 
was  accomplished  on  the  24th.  Very  few  of  his  men 
had  ever  been  under  fire  and  only  three  hundred  were 
armed.  Soon  after  crossing  the  river  the  command 
came  in  collision  with  the  advance  of  the  Seventh 
Illinois  Cavalry,  five  hundred  strong,  under  Colonel 
Prince.  Meantime  Neely's  Fourteenth  Tennessee  Cav 
alry  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  D.  M.  Wisdom,  with 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  Colonel  J.  E.  Forrest's 
old  regiment,  came  to  Richardson's  support,  and  in 
the  animated  skirmish  which  ensued  the  Confederates 
were  at  first  scattered  in  the  face  of  well-trained  and 
well-handled  troops,  but  rallied  and  held  their  ground. 
After  nightfall  the  Federals  withdrew. 

In  preparing  to  leave  West  Tennessee  Forrest  had 


164  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

subdivided  his  forces  as  follows :  The  first  command 
under  Colonel  Richardson,  the  second  under  Lieuten 
ant-Colonel  D.  M.  Wisdom,  and  the  third  under  Colo 
nel  Tyree  H.  Bell.  The  latter  moved  out  from  Jack 
son  with  two  pieces  of  artillery,  fifty  wagons,  loaded 
with  valuable  supplies,  and  several  hundred  head  of 
cattle  and  hogs.  Wisdom  came  up  with  Richardson 
in  time  to  take  active  part  in  the  fighting  of  the  day, 
the  first  on  the  move  southward.  During  the  day  he 
detached  eighty  men  under  Lieutenants  H.  A.  Tyler 
and  John  O.  Morris  to  check  the  advance  of  Federal 
flankers.  A  charge  and  hand-to-hand  fight  ensued. 
Lieutenant  Morris  met  a  Federal  cavalryman  in  the 
charge,  and  both  fired  and  fell  mortally  wounded.  It 
was  bloody  work  for  a  few  minutes,  and  the  assailants 
seemed  to  have  the  advantage.  After  this  the  Federals 
extended  their  main  lines,  and  after  nightfall  on  that 
Christmas  eve  Wisdom  fell  back  in  the  direction  of  the 
main  command  with  Major  Philip  Allin,  commanding 
McDonald's  battalion,  covering  the  movement. 

General  Forrest  with  his  staff  and  escort  turned 
southward  at  6  P.  M.  on  the  24th  and  brought  up  the 
rear.  Colonel  Bell  was  occupied  all  that  night  and 
until  midday  of  the  25th  in  crossing  the  river  with  his 
train  and  cattle.  He  had  only  one  small,  frail  ferry 
boat  at  his  command,  and  this  was  so  weak  that  it  was 
once  capsized  with  the  loss  of  one  man,  two  horses, 
and  a  wagon-load  of  supplies.  Forrest's  scouts  re 
ported  heavy  Federal  forces  at  Somerville,  Bolivar, 
Middleburg,  La  Grange,  and  other  points.  He  was 
evidently  expected  to  return  by  the  way  he  had  entered 
West  Tennessee.  Colonel  Prince,  with  the  Seventh 
Illinois  regiment,  had  advanced  to  within  four  and  a 
half  miles  of  Estenaula,  where  he  was  attacked  by 
Richardson  and  Wisdom,  who  were  pressed  back  three 
miles  to  Slough  Bridge,  but  there  made  the  successful 


IN   A   NEW    FIELD.  165 

stand  already  mentioned.  In  his  report  he  says :  "  At 
this  point  we  were  unable  to  drive  them  farther;  we 
were,  however,  able  to  hold  our  ground  without  diffi 
culty,  and  did  so  until  8  P.  M." 

Later  in  the  night  Prince  was  again  attacked,  this 
time  by  Forrest's  escort,  sixty  men  present,  under 
command  of  Lieutenant  Nathan  Boone,  who  charged 
through  a  corn-field,  making  noise  enough  for  a  bri 
gade.  Richardson's  command  was  ordered  to  the  sup 
port  but  was  not  needed  that  night.  The  Federals, 
believing  that  the  assailants  were  supported  by  a  large 
force,  fell  back  and  continued  the  march  to  Somerville, 
reaching  there  about  daylight  the  next  morning.  For 
rest  had  now  crossed  his  trains  and  entire  command 
over  Hatchie  River.  In  front  of  him  was  Wolf  River, 
a  sluggish  stream  rising  eastward  and  emptying  into 
the  Mississippi  River  at  Memphis,  and  a  little  farther 
on  was  the  well-guarded  Memphis  and  Charleston 
Railroad.  It  would  be  as  perilous  to  march  up  toward 
the  headwaters  of  these  two  swollen  streams  as  to 
go  nearer  Memphis.  All  the  bridges  on  Wolf  River 
were  supposed  to  be  burned,  and  the  fords,  if  any  at 
that  season  of  the  year,  were  closely  guarded.  Three 
trains  at  La  Grange  had  steam  up  in  their  engines 
ready  at  short  notice  to  throw  troops  east  or  west  on 
the  railroad  at  any  point  required. 

Before  General  Forrest  left  Jackson  he  had  re 
ceived  word  from  Colonel  Thomas  H.  Logwood,  who 
had  ventured  within  the  lines  north  of  Memphis  on 
recruiting  service,  that  the  bridge  over  Wolf  River, 
near  Lafayette,  thirty-one  miles  east  of  Memphis,  had 
been  set  on  fire  but  only  partly  burned,  and  that  it  could 
be  easily  repaired.  The  general  determined  upon  this 
as  the  point  of  exit.  Colonel  Bell  was  selected  to  ad 
vance  with  three  hundred  men  and  put  the  bridge  in 
condition  for  the  passage  of  troops  and  trains  when 


l66  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  FORREST. 

these  should  arrive.  A  small  detachment  of  Federal 
troops  who  had  just  arrived  on  the  southern  side 
were  driven  off  early  on  the  morning  of  the  27th,  and 
in  a  few  hours  the  bridge  was  ready  for  the  main  com 
mand  to  pass. 

Richardson's  brigade,  as  his  command  was  now 
designated,  was  somewhat  increased  by  volunteer  re 
cruits  after  crossing  the  Hatchie  River,  and  on  the 
afternoon  of  the  25th  advanced  upon  Whiteville, 
where  the  men  were  entertained  that  night  by  the 
citizens.  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  26th  the  march 
was  resumed  in  the  direction  of  Somerville.  Five  miles 
from  that  place  a  Federal  advance-guard  was  encoun 
tered.  Richardson  had  only  three  hundred  armed  men, 
but  made  a  show  of  fight  and  a  display  of  his  unarmed 
levies,  creating  the  impression  that  he  had  a  large 
effective  force.  The  situation  was  critical  for  Rich 
ardson  for  some  time,  but  Forrest,  who  was  moving  on 
the  road  from  Estenaula  direct  to  Somerville,  with  his 
escort  and  McDonald's  battalion,  heard  the  firing  and 
came  to  the  rescue.  Leading  a  charge,  he  forced  the 
Federals  back,  and  the  pursuit  was  continued  for  some 
miles.  Several  Confederates  were  killed  and  wounded, 
among  the  number  three  of  Forrest's  escort,  including 
Sergeant  A.  H.  Boone,  brother  of  Lieutenant  Boone. 
The  Federals  lost,  according  to  Forrest's  report,  eight 
or  ten  killed  and  wounded  and  thirty  prisoners,  and  a 
train  of  six  wagons  loaded  with  subsistence  and  am 
munition  ;  also  an  ambulance  and  some  horses  and 
mules. 

Colonel  Prince  in  his  report  says :  "  The  enemy 
having  gained  our  rear  we  were  compelled  to  retire, 
and,  owing  to  the  broken  character  of  the  ground, 
in  some  disorder.  The  loss  the  enemy  sustained  in 
killed  and  wounded  must  have  exceeded  our  entire 
loss,  which  will  not  exceed  forty  killed,  wounded,  and 


IN   A   NEW   FIELD.  167 

missing/'  The  way  was  now  open  to  the  repaired 
bridge  at  Lafayette.  Colonel  Faulkner,  accompanied 
by  Major  Strange,  had  been  sent  to  make  a  feint  on 
Memphis  with  directions  to  escape  toward  Hernando, 
Miss.,  if  hard  pressed,  and  a  force  of  two  hundred 
men  was  thrown  on  the  left  of  Lafayette  to  create 
the  impression  that  an  escape  would  be  attempted  be 
tween  that  place  and  Moscow.  A  detachment  was  sent 
south  of  the  river  to  tear  up  and  obstruct  the  railroad 
two  miles  east  and  two  miles  west  of  the  crossing- 
place. 

All  was  ready  by  4  P.  M.  on  the  27th,  and  Forrest's 
main  command,  with  artillery,  wagons,  recruits,  and 
stock  began  passing  over  Wolf  River.  This  was 
rapidly  and  safely  accomplished  under  the  general's 
personal  supervision ;  yet  everything  was  still  at  stake. 
A  strong,  bold  dash  of  Federal  cavalry  might  scatter 
the  trains  and  stock  and  unarmed  men  to  the  woods 
and  swamps,  and  leave  but  few  to  make  their  way 
south  of  the  Tallahatchie.  Once  across,  the  unarmed 
men,  with  trains  and  cattle,  were  ordered  to  take  the 
road  to  Holly  Springs  by  way  of  Mount  Pleasant, 
and  make  an  all-night  march.  To  cover  this  movement 
Forrest  threw  out  a  detachment  eastward  upon  Mos 
cow,  with  orders  to  fall  back  if  hard  pressed.  At  the 
same  time  he  moved  in  the  opposite  direction  with 
his  escort — three  hundred  armed  men  and  Morton's 
two  pieces  of  artillery.  Two  miles  out  from  the  ham 
let  he  met  and  drove  back  an  advance  of  Federal  cav 
alry.  Here  his  scouts  came  up  from  Lafayette  and 
Moscow  and  reported  the  movement  of  cavalry  and  in 
fantry  in  force  from  that  direction. 

The  scouts  were  reenforced  and  sent  back  to  open 
as  hot  a  skirmish  as  possible,  in  order  to  divert  atten 
tion  from  the  train  escaping  southward.  This  an 
swered  the  purpose,  but  the  enemy  overtook  Forrest 

12 


l68  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

near  Colliersville,  twenty-five  miles  east  of  Memphis, 
and  a  noisy  skirmish  ensued.  Some  prisoners  were 
taken  on  both  sides.  Among  others  General  Forrest 
had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  chief  engineer,  Captain 
John  G.  Mann,  who  made  himself  useful,  however,  by 
intimating  that  General  Stephen  D.  Lee  was  near  by 
with  his  entire  cavalry  force.  This  seemed  so  plausible 
after  the  demonstration  that  Lee  had  made  upon  Sauls- 
bury  on  the  4th  of  December  with  McCulloch's  and 
Ross's  brigades,  that  the  Federal  commander  withdrew 
to  Lafayette  and  remained  there  for  the  rest  of  the 
night.  The  Federal  forces  at  Colliersville  were  within 
their  fortifications ;  rain,  whrch  had  been  falling  for 
twelve  hours,  suddenly  ceased,  and  a  strong,  cold  wind 
sprang  up  from  the  northwest.  The  priceless  train 
was  well  on  its  way  to  Holly  Springs,  and  before  mid 
night  Forrest  headed  his  small  command  in  that  direc 
tion,  and  by  daylight  of  the  28th  was  in  Mount  Pleas 
ant  after  a  day  and  night  of  continuous  work,  march 
ing  and  fighting.  He  was  now  beyond  the  danger  of 
immediate  pursuit,  and  the  command  proceeded  by  easy 
marches  across  the  country  to  Como,  Panola  County, 
Miss. 

On  the  28th  he  was  met  by  General  Chalmers  with 
his  command,  to  aid,  if  necessary,  in  covering  the  re 
turn.  On  the  same  day  he  proceeded  to  Holly  Springs 
and  reported  to  General  Stephen  D.  Lee  that  he  had 
returned  safely  with  the  greater  portion  of  his  troops, 
regretting  very  much  that  he  had  to  leave  so  early. 
Colonel  Faulkner  with  his  regiment,  and  Major 
Strange  of  Forrest's  staff,  who  made  the  flank  move 
ment  on  Memphis,  arrived  in  Como  on  the  first  day  of 
January  without  the  loss  of  a  man  on  the  perilous  ad 
venture.  The  weather  was  colder  than  had  been 
known  for  many  years,  and  the  troops,  having  no  tents, 
were  scattered  around  to  find  shelter  in  the  vacant 


IN    A   NEW    FIELD.  169 

houses  of  the  village  and  in  the  cabins  on  the  neigh 
boring  plantations. 

Forrest  foresaw  the  difficulty  of  reorganizing  about 
three  thousand  fresh  troops,  including  fragments  of 
sixteen  different  commands,  and  wrote  to  the  Govern 
ment  at  Richmond  that  he  could  see  no  way  of  making 
these  troops  effective  except  by  an  order  from  the 
War  Department  annulling  all  authority  previously 
given  to  raise  troops,  accompanied  with  the  order  to 
consolidate  into  full  companies  and  regiments  all  the 
troops  in  West  Tennessee  and  north  Mississippi.  He 
added :  "  By  adopting  this  method  I  can  get  six  full 
regiments  of  cavalry,  or  about  four  thousand  men; 
the  remainder  would  have  to  be  conscripted.  I  think 
with  this  cavalry  organized,  I  can  conscript  ten  thou 
sand  men  and  place  them  in  the  service."  The  Secre 
tary  of  War  acceded  to  these  suggestions,  and  on  the 
24th  of  January,  1864,  issued  orders  accordingly.  It 
was  a  coincidence  that  the  day  Forrest  entered  West 
Tennessee,  the  4th  of  December,  1863,  his  commission 
as  major-general  was  issued  at  Richmond,  although 
he  was  unaware  of  his  promotion  to  that  grade  until 
after  his  return  to  Mississippi. 

It  can  be  briefly  stated  of  this  last  expedition  that 
he  entered  West  Tennessee  at  Saulsbury  on  the  4th 
of  December  with  five  hundred  effective  men,  two  guns, 
and  five  ordnance  wagons,  and  recrossed  the  Memphis 
and  Charleston  Railroad  near  Lafayette  (now  Ross- 
ville)  on  the  27th  with  thirty-five  hundred  well- 
mounted  men  and  his  artillery,  forty  well-loaded 
wagons  drawn  by  stout  teams,  two  hundred  beef 
cattle,  and  three  hundred  hogs.  Large  forces,  es 
timated  all  the  way  from  ten  to  twenty  thousand 
strong,  were  in  motion  to  cut  off  his  retreat,  and  had 
he  remained  a  few  days  longer  the  destruction  of  his 
command  would  have  been  inevitable.  His  escort  and 


I/O  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

other  veterans  were  devoted  to  him,  and  he  was  ably 
sustained  in  all  his  efforts  by  Major  J.  P.  Strange, 
Adjutant-General  Captain  Charles  W.  Anderson, 
A.  D.  C,  and  Major  G.  V.  Rambaut,  A.  C.  S.,  ®f  his 
staff,  as  well  as  his  young  son,  Willie  M.  Forrest,  who 
acted  as  aide  and  afterward  became  captain  on  his 
father's  staff.  Many  of  the  men  just  from  home  were 
not  even  supplied  with  blankets,  but  endured  the  hard 
ships,  privations,  and  exposure  encountered  in  march 
ing  one  hundred  and  forty  miles  with  the  utmost 
patience  and  fortitude. 

Upon  General  Forrest's  return  to  north  Mississippi 
he  learned  that  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston  had  been 
relieved  from  duty  as  commander  of  the  department 
by  President  Davis,  and  succeeded  by  Lieutenant- 
General  Polk.  He  telegraphed  to  the  latter  the  results 
of  his  expedition,  and  in  reply  was  informed  of  his 
promotion  and  that  he  would  be  assigned  to  a  district. 
On  the  1 5th  of  January,  leaving  General  Chalmers  in 
command,  he  reported  to  General  Polk's  headquarters 
at  Jackson,  Miss.,  and  was  there  given  command  of 
a  district,  designated  as  "  Forrest's  Cavalry  Depart 
ment."  This  included  all  the  cavalry  in  West  Tennes 
see  and  in  north  Mississippi  as  far  as  the  southern 
boundaries  of  Monroe,  Chickasaw,  Calhoun,  Yalo- 
busha,  and  Tallahatchie,  and  parts  of  Sunflower  and 
Bolivar  counties  lying  north  of  a  line  drawn  from  the 
southern  corner  of  Tallahatchie  and  extending  to 
Prentiss  on  the  Mississippi.  In  this  field  he  found 
ample  use  for  all  his  energies  and  resources,  and  was 
even  called  upon  at  times  to  take  part  in  other  depart 
ments,  such  were  the  exigencies  and  desperate  straits 
of  the  Confederacy.  At  Jackson  he  obtained  arms  and 
ammunition,  and  promptly  returned  to  prepare  for 
active  operations. 

But  he  was  confronted  by  many  annoyances  and 


IN  A   NEW   FIELD.  171 

difficulties.  The  troops  brought  back  from  West  Ten 
nessee  were  mostly  raw  and  in  the  habit  of  roaming 
around  at  will,  and  fighting  independently.  They  were 
brave  enough,  but  unused  to  strict  military  'discipline, 
as  they  were  far  from  the  armies  in  the  field,  and  from 
any  recognized  headquarters  or  authority.  Then  there 
were  officers  and  men  who  had  aspirations,  and  were 
not  easily  satisfied.  Many  of  the  men  straggled  off 
homeward,  but  were  usually  pursued  and  brought 
back  promptly.  The  entire  command,  however,  raw 
recruits  and  veterans,  soon  felt  the  iron  hand  and 
magic  presence  of  Forrest.  When  he  was  a  martinet, 
if  at  all,  it  was  for  the  good  of  the  service,  and  when 
not  compelled  to  be  severe  he  was  the  kind-hearted, 
gentle  commander  who  could  be  approached  easily  by 
a  private  soldier.  It  is  a  matter  of  doubt  whether  the 
conventionalities  and  methods  imparted  by  a  West 
Point  education  would  have  made  him  a  more  effective 
leader  in  the  field,  but  he  would  have  started  out  with 
better  ideas  of  discipline  and  the  science  of  war,  and 
would  have  more  easily  obtained  recognition  in  high 
quarters. 

Four  small  brigades  were  organized :  The  First, 
under  General  R.  V.  Richardson,  all  from  West  Ten 
nessee,  fifteen  hundred  strong. 

Second,  including  Missouri,  Texas,  Tennessee, 
Mississippi,  and  Arkansas  troops,  commanded  by  Colo 
nel  Robert  McCulloch,  sixteen  hundred  strong. 

Third,  Tennessee  troops  under  command  of  Colonel 
Tyree  H.  Bell,  two  thousand  strong ;  and  the 

Fourth,  composed  of  Tennessee  and  Mississippi 
troops  under  command  of  Colonel  Jeffrey  E.  Forrest, 
one  thousand  strong. 

On  the  25th  day  of  January,  1864,  General  Forrest 
issued  three  orders:  (i)  Announcing  the  limits  of  his 
command;  (2) 'his  staff,  and  (3)  the  provisional  or- 


1/2  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

ganization  of  batteries,  regiments,  and  brigades. 
McCulloch's  and  Forrest's  brigades  were  organized 
as  a  division  under  Brigadier-General  James  R.  Chal 
mers. 

Major-General  Forrest  established  his  headquarters 
at  Oxford  as  a  more  central  position  for  watching 
movements  both  from  Memphis  and  Vicksburg.  His 
command  was  poorly  clothed  and  armed,  and  much 
discontent  prevailed.  Nineteen  men  who  deserted  in  a 
body  were  captured,  brought  back  to  Oxford,  and 
ordered  to  be  shot  by  the  rinding  of  a  court  martial. 
The  prisoners  were  blindfolded  on  their  coffins,  with 
a  firing  squad  in  front  ready  for  the  word  "  Fire !  " 
Leading  citizens  of  the  town  had  made  an  appeal  to 
General  Forrest,  and  at  the  last  moment  he  granted  a 
reprieve.  That  he  fully  intended  to  have  these  men 
shot  there  can  hardly  be  a  doubt,  but  the  pleas  of  the 
clergy  and  ladies  afforded  him  a  pretext  for  holding 
up  the  sentence.  The  incident  created  a  profound  im 
pression  and  there  was  little  more  desertion  after  that. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

GENERAL    WILLIAM    SOOY    SMITH'S    DEFEAT. 

MAJOR-GENERAL  W.  T.  SHERMAN,  a  master  spirit 
of  the  war,  resolved  early  in  1864  to  break  up  the  use 
less  line  of  railroad  from  Memphis  to  Corinth  and 
thence  southward  to  Meridian,  and  in  an  order  dated 
Memphis,  January  27,  1864,  he  placed  all  the  cavalry 
of  the  Department  of  Tennessee  under  the  command 
of  General  William  Sooy  Smith.  He  estimated  that 
this  force  would  be  full  seven  thousand  men,  and  supe 
rior  and  better  in  all  respects  than  the  combined  cav 
alry  of  the  enemy  in  the  State  of  Mississippi.  Out 
lining  his  plan,  he  says :  "  I  will  in  person  start  for 
Vicksburg  to-day,  and  with  four  divisions  of  infantry, 
artillery,  and  cavalry  move  out  for  Jackson,  Brandon, 
and  Meridian,  aiming  to  reach  the  latter  place  by 
February  loth.  General  Banks  will  feign  on  Pasca- 
goula  and  General  Logan  on  Rome.  I  want  you  with 
your  cavalry  to  move  from  Collierville  on  Pontotoc  and 
Okolona ;  thence  sweeping  down  near  the  Mobile  and 
Ohio  Railroad  disable  that  road  as  much  as  possible, 
consume  or  destroy  the  resources  of  the  enemy,  break 
up  the  connections  with  Columbus,  Miss.,  and  finally 
reach  me  at  or  near  Meridian  as  near  the  date  I  have 
mentioned  as  possible.  .  .  .  You  have  the  best  and 
most  experienced  troops  in  the  service,  and  they  will 
do  anything  that  is  possible.  I  will  send  up  from 
Haynes  Bluff  an  expedition  of  gunboats  and  trans 
ports  combined  to  feel  up  the  Yazoo  as  far  as  the 

173 


174  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

present  stage  of  water  will  permit.  This  will  discon 
cert  the  enemy.  My  movement  on  Jackson  will  also 
divide  the  enemy  so  that  by  no  combination  can  he 
reach  you  with  but  a  part  of  his  force."  General  Sher 
man  went  on  to  say :  "  I  wish  you  to  attack  any  force 
you  meet  and  follow  them  southward,  but  in  no  event 
be  drawn  into  the  forks  of  the  streams  that  make  up 
the  Yazoo,  nor  over  into  Alabama.  Do  not  let  the 
enemy  draw  you  into  minor  affairs,  but  look  solely  to 
the  greater  object:  to  destroy  his  communications 
from  Okolona  to  Meridian  and  thence  eastward  to 
Selma.  From  Okolona  south  you  will  find  abundance 
of  forage  collected  along  the  railroad,  and  the  farms 
have  standing  corn  in  the  fields.  Take  liberally  of  all 
these,  as  well  as  horses,  mules,  cattle,  etc.  As  a  rule, 
respect  dwellings  and  families  as  something  too  sacred 
to  be  disturbed  by  soldiers,  but  mills,  barns,  sheds, 
stables,  and  such  like  things  use  for  the  benefit  and  con 
venience  of  your  command.  If  convenient  send  into 
Columbus  and  destroy  all  machinery  there  and  the 
bridge  across  the  Tombigbee,  which  enables  the  enemy 
to  draw  supplies  from  the  east  side  of  the  valley ;  but 
this  is  not  of  sufficient  importance  to  delay  your  move 
ments.  Try  and  communicate  with  me  by  scouts  and 
spies  from  the  time  you  reach  Pontotoc.  Avoid  any 
large  force  of  infantry,  leaving  them  to  me.  We  have 
talked  over  this  matter  so  much  that  the  above  covers 
all  points  not  provided  for  in  my  orders  of  to-day."* 
General  Grant  was  freely  consulted,  and  seems  to  have 
shared  with  General  Sherman  the  thought  and  hope 
that  the  movement  might  be  continued  to  Selma  and 
even  to  Mobile. 

General  Sherman's  aim  was  to  go  to  Meridian  and 
to  have  General  Smith's  picked  command  meet  him 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxii,  part  i,  pp.  181-184. 


GENERAL   WILLIAM    SOOY    SMITH'S   DEFEAT.      175 

there.  This  was  all  set  forth  in  various  orders  and 
confidential  communications.  The  general  at  least  was 
frank,  and  gave  the  subordinate  commander  to  under 
stand  that  "  war  was  hell,"  and  that  in  the  enemy's 
country  they  could  help  themselves  to  the  necessaries 
of  life  and  something  over.  All  the  commands  were 
to  go  in  light  marching  order ;  and  in  one  order  Gen 
eral  Sherman  said :  "  Do  not  hesitate  to  take  any  kind 
of  provisions  or  fire-wood,  for  the  enemy  must  not 
only  pay  for  damages  inflicted  on  our  commerce,  but 
for  the  expenses  incurred  in  the  suppression."  This 
related  to  people  living  on  the  Yazoo  and  Mississippi 
rivers.  General  Forrest,  of  course,  could  have  no 
accurate  idea  as  to  the  details  of  all  these  well-matured 
plans.  The  foregoing  extracts  and  condensations  of 
orders  as  published  officially  in  the  Rebellion  Records 
give  some  idea  of  the  situation  to  be  confronted  by 
his  command. 

Taking  it  for  granted  that  Smith  would  start  on 
time,  General  Sherman  moved  out  from  Vicksburg 
on  the  3d  of  February  with  twenty  thousand  men  and 
artillery  in  proportion,  divided  into  two  columns  which 
marched  in  parallel  lines,  and  meeting  with  little  effect 
ive  resistance,  reached  Meridian  on  the  I4th,  and 
remained  in  that  section  of  the  country  until  the  2oth 
of  the  month.  General  Smith  had  been  ordered  to 
take  the  aggressive  from  Memphis  on  or  before  the 
ist  of  February.  He  moved  to  Collierville,  twenty-five 
miles  eastward,  and  there,  waiting  for  Waring's  bri 
gade,  which  was  marching  slowly  through  from  Colum 
bus,  Ky.,  remained  several  days.  Waring's  troops  had 
been  retarded  by  heavy  rains  and  swollen  streams,  and 
upon  arrival  at  Collierville  were  held  two  or  three  days 
to  recuperate  and  have  their  horses  shod.  Hence  the 
entire  command  was  not  ready  to  start  until  the  nth 
of  February.  It  was  seven  thousand  strong,  equipped 


176  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

in  light  marching  order  and  armed  with  Colt  repeat 
ing  rifles,  modern  carbines,  and  army  revolvers. 
Twenty  pieces  of  artillery  accompanied  the  expedition. 
It  was  expected  by  General  Sherman  that  Forrest 
would  be  easily  brushed  away,  and  that  the  march  to 
Meridian,  a  distance  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles, 
could  be  made  by  the  loth  of  February.  The  day  after 
that  date  General  Smith  made  the  start  from  Collier- 
ville.  As  late  as  February  28th  General  Sherman  was 
ignorant  of  General  Smith's  movements,  for  having  re 
turned  to  Vicksburg  he  issued  on  that  date  Special 
Field  Orders  No.  22,  in  which  he  said  (Sec.  I) :  "  The 
army  in  the  field  now  at  Canton  will  remain  there  until 
about  March  3d  to  hear  from  and  assist,  if  necessary, 
the  cavalry  expedition  under  command  of  Brigadier- 
General  William  Sooy  Smith,  which  should  have  left 
Memphis  February  2d  at  farthest  but  did  not  until 
about  the  nth.  If  heard  from  General  McPherson 
with  his  corps  will  await  his  arrival,  or  until  he  can 
communicate  with  him  and  order  General  Smith  to  the 
vicinity  of  Big  Black  Bridge  to  await  further  orders, 
or  to  act  offensively  should  a  cavalry  force  appear 
this  side  of  Pearl  River.  .  .  .  (Sec.  Ill:)  Should 
General  McPherson  hear  of  the  safety  of  the  cavalry 
command  referred  to,  or  hear  no  tidings  at  all  of  it, 
on  or  before  the  30!  next,  he  will  resume  his  former 
command  at  Vicksburg." 

On  the  7th  of  February  General  Polk  notified  For 
rest  that  General  Sherman  was  leading  a  column  from 
Vicksburg  toward  Jackson,  Miss.,  and  that  an  expedi 
tion  had  been  sent  up  the  Yazoo  River.  Colonel  Jeffrey 
Forrest  was  sent  to  Grenada  with  the  Fourth  Brigade, 
one  thousand  strong,  and  fit  for  duty.  About  the 
same  time  General  Forrest  learned  that  a  large  cavalry 
force  was  soon  to  leave  Memphis,  and  realizing  at  once 
that  these  two  movements  had  a  common  purpose  and 


GENERAL   WILLIAM    SOOY   SMITH'S  DEFEAT.     I// 

objective  point,  disposed  his  forces  as  best  he  could  to 
meet  the  emergency  in  his  immediate  front.  General 
Chalmers,  already  south  of  the  Tallahatchie,  was  or 
dered  to  guard  the  crossings  of  that  river ;  McCulloch 
was  stationed  at  Panola ;  Bell  at  Belmont ;  Richardson 
at  Wyatt  and  Toby-Tubby  Ferry,  and  McGuirk  at 
Abbeville.  On  the  evening  of  the  nth,  Captain 
Thomas  Henderson,  chief  of  scouts,  reported  the  ad 
vance  of  a  large  Federal  force  toward  Holly  Springs  by 
the  Germantown  and  Byhalia  roads.  General  Chalmers 
was  ordered  to  concentrate  at  Oxford,  which  was  ac 
complished  after  heavy  skirmishing  at  Wyatt  and 
Abbeville.  But  the  initial  movements  of  General 
Sooy  Smith  were  mere  feints  of  General  McMillin's 
infantry  brigade  temporarily  attached  to  the  com 
mand.* 

McMillin  had  marched  to  Hernando,  directly  south 
of  Memphis,  on  the  7th,  then  on  the  gth  moved  on 
Senatobia,  and  after  that  had  daily  skirmishes  with 
Forrest's  forces  on  outpost  duty  until  the  I3th,  when  he 
reached  Wyatt  on  the  Tallahatchie.  General  Smith, 
after  he  left  Collierville  on  the  nth,  moved  upon  that 
point  as  if  intending  to  force  a  crossing  there,  and, 
when  at  a  convenient  distance,  suddenly  turned  his 
cavalry  column  toward  New  Albany,  crossed  there  on 
the  1 6th  and  I'/th,  and  headed  directly  for  the  rich 
prairie  region  around  Okolona  on  the  Mobile  and  Ohio 
Railroad.  General  Chalmers  was  ordered  to  keep  on 
the  right  flank  of  the  enemy,  and  on  the  afternoon  of 
the  I4th  left  Oxford  for  Houston,  forty-five  miles  dis 
tant.  Colonel  Jeffrey  Forrest  was  ordered  to  march 
the  Fourth  Brigade  from  Grenada  to  West  Point  on 
the  Mobile  and  Ohio  Railroad,  and  establish  a  line  of 

*  General  William  Sooy  Smith's  report,  Serial  57,  vol.  xxxii, 
part  i,  p.  256,  Rebellion  Records. 


178  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

communication  by  couriers  with  General  Chalmers  at 
Houston. 

General  Forrest,  with  Bell's  brigade,  his  artillery 
and  escort,  left  Oxford  on  the  I4th  for  Grenada,  and 
remaining  there  only  a  short  time,  pushed  on  rapidly 
to  Starkville,  twenty-five  miles  west  of  Columbus ; 
thence  on  the  i8th  he  communicated  with  General 
Chalmers,  who  joined  him  the  next  day.  Colonel 
Jeffrey  Forrest  engaged  the  Federal  column  on  the 
road  to  Aberdeen,  a  few  miles  north  of  Prairie  Station, 
and  was  pushed  back  toward  West  Point  on  the  Mobile 
and  Ohio  Railroad  in  a  series  of  light  skirmishes. 
This  was  a  rainy  season ;  all  the  streams  were  out  of 
their  banks,  and  the  commands  on  both  sides  found  it 
difficult  to  march  rapidly  across  the  country.  Colonel 
Barteau,  in  command  of  Bell's  brigade,  the  general 
being  sick,  was  detached  on  the  morning  of  the  2Oth 
to  cross  the  Tombigbee  at  Columbus,  and  repel  any  at 
tempts  the  Federals  might  make  to  cross  at  Aberdeen 
and  move  down  on  the  east  bank.  He  found  that  the 
Federals  were  massed  as  far  southward  as  West  Point, 
and  took  a  position  at  Waverly,  whence  he  might 
recross  and  strike  the  enemy  in  the  flank. 

General  Forrest  left  Starkville  at  daybreak  on  the 
2Oth  with  McCulloch's  brigade  and  six  hundred  of 
Richardson's  commanded  by  Colonel  Neely,  his  artil 
lery,  staff,  and  escort,  and  marched  as  rapidly  as  pos 
sible  to  the  support  of  Colonel  Jeffrey  Forrest,  who 
was  still  skirmishing  and  falling  back.  At  2  P.  M.  he 
reached  the  Sook-a-Toncha,  a  branch  of  the  Oka- 
tibbee,  which  could  only  be  crossed  by  a  bridge  about 
thirty  yards  in  length,  four  miles  west  of  West  Point. 
The  stream  was  deep  and  sluggish  and  the  bridge 
was  approached  over  a  long,  narrow,  and  weak 
causeway.  Forrest,  however,  pushed  through  and 
beyond  West  Point,  and  found  Jeffrey  Forrest  engaged 


GENERAL   WILLIAM    SOOY   SMITH'S   DEFEAT.      1/9 

with  the  Federals,  the  latter  being  in  force  and  well 
in  line  of  battle  on  the  prairie.  Forrest  was  hoping  for 
General  S.  D.  Lee  to  arrive,  and  reluctantly  fell  back 
behind  the  creek  again.  He  was  not  ready  to  fight, 
and  hoped  to  draw  the  enemy  into  a  pocket  formed 
by  the  confluence  of  the  Tombigbee,  a  navigable  river, 
and  several  smaller  streams.  This  gave  the  Federals 
opportunity  to  burn  much  more  property,  which  in 
cluded  cotton-gins,  cotton  bales,  granaries,  stacks  of 
corn  and  fodder,  and  other  property. 

The  Federal  commander  had  given  orders  to  respect 
private  property  and  claimed  afterward  that  this  was 
done.  But  in  the  rush  of  such  a  movement  in  a  region 
of  Confederate  sympathizers  and  facing  hostile  forces 
of  unknown  strength,  there  was  little  time  for  dis 
crimination,  and  when  the  torch  was  once  applied  the 
flames  swept  away  public  and  private  property  alike. 
General  Forrest  placed  his  forces  back  of  the  bridge 
mentioned,  and  led  McCulloch's  brigade  four  miles  up 
the  creek,  where  a  small  party  of  Federals  had  crossed 
and  it  was  supposed  a  flank  movement  was  being  made. 
A  few  of  the  Union  troops  were  killed,  and  twenty- 
three  captured.  Next  morning,  the  2ist,  the  bridge 
was  again  crossed  and  a  heavy  skirmish  opened, 
which  lasted  until  noon,  when  the  Federals  fell  back 
precipitately  without  apparent  cause.  Forrest  with 
his  escort  and  one  hundred  of  Faulkner's  Kentuckians 
dashed  to  the  front,  and  found  the  enemy  in  full  re 
treat.  Ordering  Forrest's  and  McCulloch's  brigades 
forward,  and  leaving  word  for  General  Chalmers  to 
guard  the  crossings  and  bridges  up  the  stream  to  pre 
vent  any  possible  flank  movement,  he  continued  the 
pursuit,  and  was  soon  sharply  engaged. 

Five  miles  north  of  West  Point  the  Federals  made 
a  strong  stand  at  the  mouth  of  a  lane,  and  charged  the 
Confederate  advance.  Forrest  led  a  successful  counter- 


180  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

charge,  and  in  close  quarters  here  killed  a  Federal 
trooper  with  his  own  hand.  The  main  line  of  the  Fed 
erals  was  in  a  heavy  wood  near  by,  and  supposed  to 
be  four  thousand  strong.  Forrest  dismounted  about 
one  thousand  of  his  men  and  moved  them  forward  as 
infantry.  The  Federals  fought  vigorously  but  con 
tinued  to  fall  back  until  they  reached  a  strong  position 
behind  a  picket  fence  half  a  mile  long ;  a  regiment  was 
thrown  around  to  make  a  flank  movement  on  the  right, 
a  charge  was  made  in  front,  and  after  stubborn  re 
sistance  the  Federals  again  withdrew.  Their  column 
was  encumbered  in  various  ways,  including  a  train  of 
loose  and  pack  animals  and  the  care  of  about  three 
thousand  negroes  who,  mounted  on  mules,  had  flocked 
from  the  plantations  to  the  Union  standard.  The 
ground  was  soaked  with  water,  and  the  roads  cut  all 
to  pieces  by  the  artillery,  wagons,  and  horses.  For 
rest's  men  and  horses  were  jaded  and  hungry,  but  were 
in  lighter  marching  order  than  General  Smith's  com 
mand,  and  could  move  with  greater  celerity.  There 
was  a  little  more  fighting  in  the  afternoon,  and  Forrest's 
losses  that  day  were  considerable.  Bell's  brigade,  com 
manded  by  Colonel  Barteau,  had  crossed  back  to  the 
west  bank  of  the  Tombigbee,  near  Waverly,  and  kept 
between  the  Federal  column  and  the  river  as  far  as 
Egypt  Station,  on  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  Railroad,  and 
there  rested  for  the  night. 

At  four  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  22d,  McCul- 
loch's  and  Jeffrey  Forrest's  brigades  were  once  more 
moving  toward  Okolona,  fourteen  miles  distant.  Colo 
nel  Forrest  was  directed  to  take  a  left-hand  road  when 
within  nine  miles  of  Okolona,  and  throw  his  brigade 
over  on  the  Pontotoc  road  and  cut  off  retreat  in  that 
direction  if  possible.  The  general  with  his  staff  and 
escort  rode  directly  to  the  front.  Barteau,  as  men 
tioned,  had  kept  well  to  the  Federal  right  the  day  be- 


GENERAL   WILLIAM    SOOY   SMITH'S   DEFEAT.     I  Si 

fore,  but  when  morning  dawned  he  found  himself  in 
an  isolated  and  perilous  position.  The  Federals  on 
reaching  Okolona  prepared  to  close  in  on  him.  Bar- 
teau  deployed  his  skirmishers  and  brigade  to  advantage 
and  moved  up  as  if  to  make  an  attack.  While  he  was 
thus  maneuvering,  and  General  Grierson  was  recon- 
noitering  on  his  flanks  to  ascertain  the  strength  of  the 
brigade  and  what  might  be  back  of  it,  General  Forrest 
came  up  with  his  small  force  and  joined  Barteau  in  a 
charge  on  a  weak  place  in  Grierson's  lines.  McCul- 
loch's  brigade  was  seen  coming  up  from  the  south, 
and  the  Federals  resumed  their  retreat  in  great  dis 
order  on  the  Pontotoc  road.  The  losses  on  both  sides 
in  this  brief  affair  were  light  compared  with  the  num 
bers  engaged. 

The  pursuit  was  kept  up  with  great  energy,  and  a 
number  of  fugitives  who  fell  behind  were  killed  or 
captured,  and  five  pieces  of  artillery  and  their  caissons 
were  abandoned  with  their  horses  dead  or  helpless  in 
the  ditches.  Speaking  of  this  retreat  from  Okolona, 
Lieutenant  I.  W.  Curtis,  of  the  First  Illinois  Light 
Artillery,  says  in  his  report :  "  We  had  not  proceeded 
very  far  from  Okolona  when  we  were  unexpectedly 
surprised  by  the  presence  of  flying  cavalry  on  both 
sides  of  us.  They  were  in  perfect  confusion,  some 
hallooing,  '  Go  ahead,  or  we  will  be  killed ! '  while  some 
few  showed  a  willingness  to  fight.  After  several  un 
successful  attempts  to  form  my  battery,  I  gave  it  up 
and  marched  as  best  I  could  until  I  received  an  order 
for  me  to  try  and  save  the  artillery  by  marching 
through  the  fields  to  the  right.  I  proceeded  to  comply 
with  orders.  After  crossing  some  two  or  three  almost 
impassable  ditches,  and  my  horses  being  nearly  ex 
hausted,  I  came  to  another  ditch  some  six  feet  deep. 
I  managed  to  get  one  gun  over  safely  by  the  men  dis 
mounting  and  taking  it  over  by  hand,  and  one  other, 


1 82  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

which  by  the  time  we  got  it  over  was  broken,  so  that 
we  had  to  leave  it.  I  ordered  them  to  cut  the  horses 
loose,  to  cut  the  gearing,  and  to  go  ahead  with  the 
led  horses."* 

The  Federals  made  no  halt  until  they  reached  a 
point  about  five  miles  west  of  Okolona.  Here  Colonel 
Waring's  brigade  was  ordered  to  make  a  stand  in  con 
junction  with  artillery,  and  hold  his  ground  until  the 
demoralized  cavalry  could  pass  through,  and,  if  pos 
sible,  be  reorganized  in  the  rear.  Colonel  Waring  said  : 
"  I  formed  my  brigade  in  line  with  skirmishers  far 
out  on  each  flank,  and  remained  until  the  Third  Bri 
gade  had  passed  through  portions  of  it  in  such  con 
fusion  as  to  endanger  the  morale  of  my  command."  f 

Another  stand  was  made  about  a  mile  distant  and 
held  for  a  short  time  by  four  regiments,  but  only  to  be 
forced  back.  General  Smith  was  fully  aware  of  the 
gravity  of  his  environments,  and  made  a  determined 
stand  in  a  position  of  great  natural  strength  at  a  place 
known  as  "  Iveys  Hill,"  near  Prairie  Mound,  seven 
miles  out  from  Okolona.  This  was  beyond  the  point 
where  the  road  passes  from  the  prairie  to  the  hill 
country,  and  on  a  ridge  easily  defended.  Here  the 
general  massed  his  artillery  and  threw  up  temporary 
breastworks  of  rails  and  logs  between  and  on  the 
flanks  of  the  various  buildings  usually  found  on  a  large 
plantation.  This  position  was  not  easily  approached 
from  the  east  except  by  a  long,  narrow  road.  When 
General  Forrest  came  up  he  ordered  Jeffrey  Forrest's 
brigade  to  form  on  the  right  of  the  road  in  columns 
of  fours,  and  McCulloch's  brigade  to  form  in  like  man 
ner  on  the  left ;  both  to  change  formation  into  line 
when  within  three  hundred  yards  of  the  position  to  be 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxii,  part  i,  pp.  301,  302. 
f  Ibid.,  p.  268. 


GENERAL   WILLIAM    SOOY   SMITH'S   DEFEAT.     183 

assaulted,  and  this  was  done  with  the  precision  of 
veterans.  Both  brigades  did  not  number  twelve  hun 
dred  men.  Colonel  Forrest,  deploying  Duff's  Missis- 
sippians  and  his  own  regiment  of  Tennesseeans  and 
Alabamians  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Wisdom,  moved 
to  the  onset  at  equal  pace  with  McCulloch's  brigade 
and  carried  the  first  line,  but  back  of  that  was  another 
in  an  even  better  position.  Again  the  charge  sounded, 
and  the  Confederate  lines  advanced  under  a  galling 
fire,  and  many  fell  killed  or  mortally  wounded. 

Here  the  intrepid  young  Colonel  Jeffrey  Forrest, 
in  front  of  his  command,  was  shot  through  the  neck 
within  fifty  yards  of  the  Federal  lines,  and  died  almost 
instantly.  His  men  and  others  faltered  as  they  saw 
their  leader  fall.  General  Forrest,  hearing  of  his  great 
loss,  rushed  to  the  spot,  and,  springing  from  his  horse, 
fell  down  on  his  knees  by  the  side  of  his  dead  young 
brother,  his  favorite,  his  Benjamin,  calling  him  by 
name  in  the  most  endearing  and  pathetic  tones.  But 
the  spirit  had  fled,  and  no  answer  came.  The  Con 
federates  near  by  ceased  firing  and  stood  back  in  awe 
and  sorrow,  and  the  Federals,  realizing  that  something 
unusual  had  happened,  withheld  their  volleys  for  a 
moment.  Tears  came  to  the  eyes  of  grimy  soldiers, 
and  stifled  sobs  of  sympathy  welled  up  in  their  throats. 
Yet  it  was  soon  over.  Kissing  his  dead  brother  pas 
sionately,  the  strong  man  was  himself  again.  Rising 
to  his  feet,  he  requested  his  adjutant-general,  Major 
Strange,  to  care  for  the  body,  mounted  his  horse,  and 
looking  around  at  his  staff  and  escort,  he  called  upon 
his  bugler,  in  a  loud,  strong  voice,  to  sound  the  charge. 

In  the  last  engagement  Lieutenant-Colonel  James 
A.  Barksdale,  of  the  Fifth  Mississippi  Cavalry,  fell 
mortally  wounded,  a  loss  keenly  felt  by  his  regiment 
and  the  command  at  large.  Colonel  McCulloch  was 
severely  wounded  in  the  hand,  but  did  not  at  once  re- 
13 


1 84  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

linqnish  his  place  at  the  front.  Bell's  brigade  came  up, 
and  Colonel  Duckworth  assumed  command  of  Jeffrey 
Forrest's  brigade. 

Led  by  General  Forrest  the  entire  command  made 
an  impetuous  charge,  before  which  the  Federal  lines 
gave  way.  The  general  acted  so  rashly  that  members 
of  his  staff  feared  he  had  given  up  to  his  emotions  at 
the  loss  of  his  brother,  and  was  thus  rushing  forward 
to  throw  his  life  away.  The  troops,  however,  went 
into  the  charge  in  flank  and  in  front  with  their  wonted 
spirit,  and  soon  found  that  General  Smith  was  con 
tinuing  his  retreat.  Forrest  and  his  escort,  about  sixty 
in  number,  still  kept  in  the  lead,  and  suddenly  dashed 
into  the  rear-guard  of  about  five  hundred  men,  thrown 
across  the  road,  and  were  at  once  surrounded  and  en 
gaged  in  a  bloody  hand-to-hand  fight.  In  a  few  mo 
ments  McCulloch's  small  brigade  came  upon  the  scene, 
but  the  men  hesitated  about  going  into  such  a  trap. 
The  colonel  had  been  wounded  about  the  time  Jeffrey 
Forrest  fell.  Raising  his  wounded,  dripping  hand 
above  his  head,  he  called  upon  the  Missourians  to 
follow  him,  and  they  were  soon  mingling  in  the  mclcc, 
and  succeeded  in  rescuing  their  general  and  his  few 
followers.  It  was  said  that  General  Forrest  killed  or 
disabled  three  of  his  assailants  in  this  short  but  furious 
fight,  one  of  them  being  in  the  act  of  shooting  Lieu 
tenant  Thomas  D.  Tate,  who  was  in  command  of  the 
escort. 

The  Federal  rear-guard  moved  on  about  a  mile, 
and  made  another  stand.  Approaching  this  position, 
General  Forrest  and  his  chief  surgeon,  J.  B.  Cowan, 
drew  a  heavy  fire  from  small  arms  and  artillery,  and 
the  general's  horse  fell  dead.  Forrest  declined  to  take 
Doctor  Cowan's  horse,  but  called  up  a  member  of  his 
escort,  took  his  horse,  and  told  the  man  he  could  go 
to  the  rear.  The  main  command  came  up,  and  a  few 


GENERAL  WILLIAM    SOOY   SMITH'S   DEFEAT.      185 

moments  later  a  sharp  fight  took  place,  in  which  the 
general  lost  the  second  horse.  After  that  he  sent  back 
for  his  famous  war-horse,  "  King  Philip,"  and  con 
tinued  to  lead  his  men  until  dark.*  Late  in  the  day  the 
Federals  made  a  final  stand,  formed  into  line  of  battle, 
and  charged  down  on  the  Confederates  in  fine  style. 
Forrest  was  at  the  front  with  about  three  hundred 
men,  and  was  in  great  peril.  Falling  back  behind  a 
deep  gully,  he  repelled  two  charges,  but  the  third 
broke  through  his  lines.  The  Confederates  were  nearly 
out  of  ammunition  for  their  guns,  and  resorted  to  the 
use  of  their  revolvers.  In  the  midst  of  a  hand-to-hand 
fight,  Lieutenant-Colonel  McCulloch  came  up  in  com 
mand  of  McCulloch's  brigade,  the  colonel  having  been 
wounded  a  second  time.  This  last  and  most  gallant 
charge  was  met  and  driven  back.  A  number  of  Fed 
erals  were  killed,  including  an  officer  said  to  be  an 
aide-de-camp  to  General  Grierson,  whose  conspicuous 
bravery  so  excited  the  admiration  of  his  foes  that  Gen 
eral  Forrest  directed  special  attention  to  be  paid  to  his 
body.  This  was  the  end  of  the  real  fighting  of  that 
eventful  day  and  brief  campaign.  General  Smith  made 
haste  to  get  back  across  the  Tallahatchie  River. 

By  8  P.  M.  Forrest's  men  were  well  closed  up,  and 
about  that  time  General  Gholson  reached  the  field  with 
a  brigade  of  seven  hundred  Mississippi  State  troops. 

*  This  remarkable  horse,  a  superb  iron-gray,  was  then  twelve 
years  old,  and  had  seen  hard  service  within  the  Confederate  lines 
at  the  siege  of  Vicksburg.  Coming  out  very  thin  he  was  well 
cared  for,  and  afterward  presented  to  General  Forrest  by  the 
citizens  of  Columbus,  Miss.  When  in  battle  he  seemed  to  catch 
the  spirit  of  his  master,  would  lay  back  his  ears,  rush  at  the 
enemy,  and  snap  his  teeth  with  a  violent  show  of  temper.  He 
was  wounded  that  day  near  Iveys  Farm,  but  survived  the  war 
and  was  tenderly  cared  for  as  long  as  he  lived.  All  the  men  of 
Forrest's  command  knew  "  King  Philip"  as  well  as  they  knew 
the  general. 


1 86  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

On  the  morning  of  the  3d  he  was  ordered  to  take  up 
the  pursuit,  which,  of  course,  he  could  not  do  very 
effectively;  but  his  men  were  fresh,  and  kept  on  after 
the  fleeing  column  as  far  north  as  the  Tallahatchie, 
which  was  crossed  by  General  Smith  on  the  23d,  at 
New  Albany,  twenty-five  miles  east  of  Oxford,  and 
he  moved  back  to  Memphis  without  further  serious 
molestation.  General  Gholson  picked  up  about  fifty 
stragglers  and  some  abandoned  property  on  the  road. 
Independent  scouts,  who  happened  to  be  in  the  neigh 
borhood,  fired  several  times  on  General  Smith's  column, 
south  of  the  Tallahatchie,  creating  the  impression  that 
Forrest  was  making  flank  movements,  and  thus  has 
tening  the  retreat  across  the  river. 

Colonel  Waring,  in  his  account  of  the  affair,  says : 
"  The  retreat  to  Memphis  was  a  very  disheartening 
and  almost  panic-stricken  flight,  in  the  greatest  dis 
order  and  confusion,  and  through  a  most  difficult  coun 
try.  The  First  Brigade  reached  its  camping  ground 
five  days  after  the  engagement,  with  the  loss  of  all  its 
heart  and  spirit,  and  nearly  fifteen  hundred  fine  cavalry 
horses.  The  expedition  filled  every  man  connected 
with  it  with  burning  shame,  and  it  gave  Forrest  the 
most  glorious  achievement  of  his  career." 

The  losses  on  both  sides  in  the  engagements  of  the 
2Oth,  2 ist,  and  22d  were:  Confederates,  twenty-seven 
killed,  ninety-seven  wounded,  and  twenty  missing; 
aggregate,  one  hundred  and  forty-four.  Federal  offi 
cers  killed,  two ;  men,  fifty-two ;  officers  wounded,  six 
teen  ;  men,  one  hundred  and  sixty-three ;  officers  cap 
tured  and  missing,  two ;  men,  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
three  ;  aggregate,  three  hundred  and  eighty-eight.* 

Major-General  Lee,  with  Major-General  W.  H. 
Jackson's  division,  had  arrived  at  General  Chalmers's 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxii,  part  i,  pp.  194-353- 


GENERAL    WILLIAM    SOOY    SMITH'S    DEFEAT. 

headquarters,  behind  the  Sook-a-Toncha,  on  the  morn 
ing  of  the  22d,  and  becoming  satisfied  that  the  move 
ment  was  baffled,  fell  back  to  Starkville.  General  For 
rest,  after  giving  orders  for  details  to  be  made  to 
press  wagons  and  remove  the  wounded  on  both  sides 
to  hospitals  in  Okolona,  left  for  Starkville  with  his 
staff  and  escort,  reaching  there  on  the  24th.  On  the 
26th  he  was  joined  there  by  his  entire  force,  including 
General  Chalmers's  division,  and  proceeded  to  Colum 
bus  to  go  into  camp,  and  was  occupied  there  some  time 
reorganizing  his  command. 

General  Sherman  returned  from  Meridian  to  Vicks- 
burg  without  hearing  of  General  Smith,  and  excori 
ated  him  in  his  reports,  as  well  as  in  his  Memoirs,  for 
not  leaving  Memphis  and  reaching  Meridian  on  time, 
although  speaking  of  him  as  an  accomplished  gentle 
man  and  skilful  engineer.  Major-General  Forrest,  in 
a  report  to  Lieutenant-General  Polk,  dated  Stark 
ville,  Miss.,  February  26,  1864,  says  in  part: 

I  am  under  many  obligations  for  the  ordnance  stores 
and  train  sent  to  Gainesville.  Am  also  gratified  at  being 
able  to  say  that  your  wishes  in  regard  to  Generals  Smith 
and  Grierson  are  realized ;  at  least  to  the  extent  of  their 
defeat  and  utter  rout.  We  met  them  on  Sunday  morning 
last  (2ist)  at  Ellis's  bridge  on  Sook-a-Toncha  Creek,  three 
miles  south  of  West  Point,  in  front  of  which  Colonel  For 
rest's  brigade  was  posted  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  cross 
ing.  After  a  brisk  engagement  of  an  hour  and  a  half 
the  enemy  retired  toward  West  Point.  It  was  not  my 
intention  to  attack  them  or  bring  on  a  general  engagement, 
but  to  develop  their  strength,  position,  and  movements. 
I  moved  forward  with  my  escort  and  a  portion  of  Faulk 
ner's  Kentucky  regiment  and  found  the  enemy  had  begun 
a  rapid  and  systematic  retreat,  and  being  unwilling  they 
should  leave  this  section  without  a  fight,  ordered  the  ad 
vance  of  my  columns.  Will  forward  a  detailed  official 
report.  It  is  sufficient  for  me  to  say  here  that  with  twen- 


1 88  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

ty-five  hundred  men,  the  enemy,  numbering  from  six 
thousand  to  seven  thousand  strong,  were  driven  from  West 
Point  to  within  ten  miles  of  Pontotoc  in  two  days.  All  his 
efforts  to  check  our  advance  failed,  and  his  forces  at  last 
fled  utterly  defeated  and  demoralized,  leaving  six  pieces  of 
artillery,  one  hundred  killed,  over  one  hundred  prisoners, 
and  wounded  estimated  at  three  hundred  or  over.  The 
seriously  wounded — about  fifty  in  number — fell  into  our 
hands.  They  took  in  their  retreat  every  carriage,  buggy, 
cart,  and  wagon  along  the  road  to  remove  their  killed  and 
wounded  officers,  and  all  their  slightly  wounded,  according 
to  reports  of  citizens,  were  moved  in  front  with  their  pack- 
train.  Among  the  killed  are  my  brother,  Colonel  Jeffrey 
Forrest,  commanding  brigade;  Lieutenant-Colonel  Barks- 
dale,  commanding  Colonel  George's  regiment,  and  several 
other  officers,  names  not  remembered. 

It  affords  me  pleasure  to  mention  the  fortitude  and 
gallantry  displayed  by  the  troops  engaged,  especially  the 
new  troops  from  West  Tennessee,  who,  considering  their 
want  of  drill  and  discipline  and  experience,  behaved  hand 
somely,  and  the  moral  effect  of  their  victory  over  the  best 
cavalry  in  the  Federal  service  will  tell  in  their  future 
operations,  inspiring  them  with  courage  and  confidence  in 
their  ability  to  whip  them  again.  Considering  the  dispar 
ity  in  numbers,  discipline,  and  drill,  I  consider  it  one  of 
the  most  complete  victories  that  has  occurred  during  the 
war.  After  the  enemy  succeeded  in  reaching  the  hills 
between  Okolona  and  Pontotoc  their  resistance  was  obsti 
nate,  compelling  me  to  frequently  dismount  my  advance  to 
drive  them  from  favorable  positions.  .  .  .  About  three  hun 
dred  men  of  the  Second  Tennessee  Cavalry,  under  Colo 
nel  Barteau,  and  the  Seventh  Tennessee  Cavalry,  under 
Colonel  Duckworth,  received  the  repeated  charges  of  seven 
regiments  in  the  open  ground, finally  driving  them  from  the 
field,  capturing  three  stands  of  colors  and  another  piece 
of  their  artillery.  A  great  deal  of  the  fighting  was  almost 
hand  to  hand,  and  the  only  way  I  can  account  for  our  small 
loss  is  in  the  fact  that  we  kept  so  close  to  them  that  the 
enemy  overshot  our  men.  Owing  to  the  broken-down  and 


GENERAL  WILLIAM    SOOY   SMITH'S    DEFEAT.      189 

exhausted  condition  of  our  men  and  horses,  and  being  al 
most  out  of  ammunition,  I  was  compelled  to  stop  pursuit. 
Major-General  Gholson  arrived  during  Monday  night 
(22d),  and  his  command  being  comparatively  fresh,  con 
tinues  the  pursuit,  and  when  last  heard  from  was  still 
driving  the  enemy,  capturing  horses  and  prisoners.  The 
enemy  had  crossed  the  Tallahatchie  River  on  the  night 
of  the  23d  (Tuesday),  burning  the  bridge  behind  them 
at  New  Albany,  and  retreating  rapidly  toward  Memphis, 
with  Gholson  still  in  pursuit. 

Respectfully,  etc., 

N.  B.  FORREST,  Major-General. 
To  Lieutenant-General  POLK.* 

In  the  course  of  a  more  elaborate  report  made  at 
Columbus,  Miss.,  March  8,  1864,  General  Forrest  says: 
"  The  killed  and  wounded  of  the  enemy  who  fell  into 
our  hands  amount  to  over  one  hundred.  We  cap 
tured  six  pieces  of  artillery,  three  stands  of  colors,  and 
one  hundred  and  sixty-two  prisoners.  By  pressing 
every  horse,  wagon,  buggy,  and  carriage  along  the 
road,  they  were  enabled  to  take  off  all  their  wounded, 
except  those  severely  or  mortally  wounded ;  .and  it  is 
a  low  estimate  to  place  their  loss  in  killed,  wounded, 
and  missing  at  eight  hundred.  My  force  in  the  fight 
did  not  exceed  twenty-five  hundred  men,  while  that 
of  the  enemy  was  &«fc»ty-seven  regiments  of  cavalry 
and  mounted  infantry,  estimated  at  seven  thousand." 

He  regretted  the  loss  of  some  gallant  officers,  in 
cluding  his  brother,  Colonel  J.  E.  Forrest,  an  officer 
who,  for  sobriety,  ability,  prudence,  and  bravery  had 
no  superior  of  his  age,  being  only  twenty-four  years 
old.  Special  mention  was  made  of  different  com 
mands,  and  of  his  staff-officers,  for  endurance  and 
courage.  General  Polk  issued  special  orders  dated 
Demopolis,  Ala.,  March  3d,  in  which  he  congratulated 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxii,  part  i,  pp.  350,  351. 


1 90  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

the  officers  and  men  of  Major-General  Lee  and  Major- 
General  Forrest  "  upon  the  brilliant  and  successful 
campaign  just  closed,"  and  Forrest  issued  a  stirring 
address  to  the  men,  dated  at  Columbus,  March  nth. 

Under  date  of  Memphis,  February  28,  1864,  Brig 
adier-General  William  Sooy  Smith,  chief  of  cavalry, 
reported  to  General  Grant  at  Nashville,  briefly  as  fol 
lows  :  "  I  penetrated  to  West  Point,  reaching  that  place 
on  Sunday,  the  2ist  hist.  Burned  two  million  bushels 
of  corn  and  two  thousand  bales  of  Confederate  cotton, 
brought  out  about  three  thousand  horses  and  mules, 
and  fifteen  hundred  negroes.  Could  not  force  my  way 
through  to  Sherman.  ...  I  fought  the  rebels  at 
four  points  severely,  and  skirmished  with  them  as  we 
retired,  for  sixty  miles.  We  had  the  best  of  them  at  all 
points  except  at  Okolona,  where  our  loss  was  very 
severe,  including  a  battery  of  small  howitzers,  which 
we  drove  into  a  ditch,  and  so  disabled  that  we  could  not 
get  it  along.  This  whole  trouble  resulted  from  the  bad 
conduct  of  a  portion  of  McCrilli's  brigade.  I  will 
write  fully,  and  start  back  to  Nashville  about  day  after 
to-morrow."  General  Smith  made  a  more  specific  and 
elaborate  report,  dated  Nashville,  March  4,  1864,  which 
contains  facts  not  previously  stated  by  him.  He  said 
in  part : 

On  December  28,  1863,  I  started  from  this  city  with 
the  Second,  Third,  and  Fourth  Tennessee  Cavalry  regi 
ments,  Third  and  Fourth  Kentucky  Cavalry,  and  Twenty- 
eighth  Mounted  Infantry.  .  .  .  The  object  of  these  move 
ments  was  to  clear  the  country  of  the  bands  of  guerrillas 
that  infested  it,  and  to  watch  any  attempt  that  Forrest, 
who  was  then  at  Jackson,  Tenn.,  might  make  to  throw 
his  force,  or  any  portion  of  it,  over  into  Middle  Ten 
nessee  or  Kentucky.  .  .  .  Upon  reaching  the  Tennessee 
River,  the  command,  then  consisting  of  the  Second,  Third, 
and  Fourth  Tennessee  Cavalry,  Fifth  Kentucky  Cavalry, 


GENERAL   WILLIAM   SOOY   SMITH'S   DEFEAT.     IQI 

Fourth  United  States  Cavalry,  and  Seventy-second  Indi 
ana  Mounted  Infantry,  was  thrown  across  the  river  and 
moved  toward  Corinth,  which  point  we  reached  on  the 
8th  of  January.  Forrest  had  moved  southward  into 
Mississippi  before  my  command  reached  the  Tennessee 
River — urged  to  this  step  by  the  movement  of  the  troops 
of  the  Sixteenth  Army-corps  upon  him. 

Orders  had  been  issued  to  abandon  the  railroad  from 
Memphis  to  Corinth,  and  I  moved  my  command  to  Col- 
lierville  (twenty-five  miles  east  of  Memphis)  to  await  the 
arrival  of  Waring's  brigade,  which  only  reached  Collier- 
ville  on  Monday,  the  8th  of  February.  .  .  .  By  great  effort 
the  whole  command  was  prepared  for  the  movement  and 
put  in  motion  on  the  nth  of  February.  Forrest  had  taken 
position  behind  the  Tallahatchie  River,  determined  to  re 
sist  our  crossing.  I  threw  McMillin's  brigade  of  irifan- 
try,  temporarily  assigned  to  my  command,  rapidly  toward 
Panola  from  Memphis  on  the  8th  of  February,  and  on  the 
nth  ordered  it  to  move  toward  Wyatt,  toward  which  point 
I  directed  the  march  of  my  whole  cavalry  force,  until  the 
impression  was  made  that  I  intended  forcing  a  crossing 
at  that  point,  which  I  attacked  with  the  brigade  of  infantry, 
and  attracted  the  attention  and  forces  of  the  enemy  there 
while  I  threw  my  whole  cavalry  force  around  by  way  of 
New  Albany,  where  I  crossed  the  Tallahatchie  without 
firing  a  shot,  although  delayed  a  day  at  the  crossing  of 
Tippah  Creek,  swollen  by  a  freshet.  We  then  moved  rap 
idly  on  Pontotoc  and  Houston.  Within  ten  miles  of  Hous 
ton  we  saw  an  outpost  of  State  troops.  These  stampeded, 
leaving  a  portion  of  their  arms.  We  forced  our  way  over 
a  corduroy  road,  strongly  guarded — one  mile  long — to  the 
crossing  of  the  Houlka  Swamp,  three  miles  north  of 
Houston.  The  roads  crossing  this  road  were  held  by  the 
enemy  in  force.  Our  advance  made  an  attack  on  the 
force  on  the  road  leading  to  Houston  while  the  main  body 
was  moved  rapidly  eastward  to  Okolona,  where  a  number 
of  rebel  officers  and  men  on  furlough  were  captured.  A 
regiment  was  thrown  forward  by  forced  march  to  en 
deavor  to  seize  ferry-boats  on  the  Tombigbee,  but  none 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

were  found.  The  next  morning  one  brigade  was  moved 
to  the  support  of  the  regiment  and  to  threaten  Columbus, 
while  two  brigades  moved  down  the  railroad  toward  West 
Point,  throwing  out  strong  detachments  to  make  feints 
and  watch  the  crossing  of  the  Sook-a-Toncha  on  our  right 
and  destroy  the  roads  as  they  went,  together  with  the 
vast  amount  of  corn  that  was  collected  in  cribs  near  the 
railroad.  They  also  destroyed  all  the  Confederate  cotton 
that  was  found.  The  brigade  that  went  to  Aberdeen  did 
the  same,  and  also  destroyed  a  very  extensive  tannery, 
together  with  about  two  thousand  hides.  ...  I  concen 
trated  my  command  at  Prairie  Station — fifteen  miles  north 
of  West  Point — and  moved  on  that  place  on  the  20th  of 
February.  One  mile  north  of  the  town  we  drove  in  a 
rebel  brigade  after  a  short,  sharp  fight.  The  whole  com 
mand  arrived  near  West  Point  at  about  3  p.  M.,  and  care 
ful  reconnaissances  were  made  of  the  Sook-a-Toncha 
Swa,mp  on  our  right,  the  Okatibbee  on  our  front,  and  the 
Tombigbee  on  our  left.  They  were  all  found  strongly 
held  by  the  enemy,  present  in  four  brigades  and  to  the 
number  of  about  six  or  seven  thousand,  according  to  the 
best  information  that  could  be  obtained. 

Exaggerated  reports  of  Forrest's  strength  reached  me 
constantly,  and  it  was  reported  that  Lee  was  about  to  re- 
enforce  him  with  a  portion,  or  the  whole  of  his  command. 
Columbus  had  been  evacuated,  and  all  the  State  troops 
that  could  be  assembled  from  every  quarter  were  drawn 
together  at  my  front  to  hold  the  Okatibbee  against  me, 
while  a  heavy  force  was  seen  coming  to  my  rear.  About 
three  thousand  able-bodied  negroes  had  taken  up  with  us, 
mounted  on  as  many  horses  and  mules  brought  with  them. 
We  had  also  seven  hundred  pack-mules.  All  these  encum 
brances  to  be  strongly  guarded  against  the  flank  attacks 
constantly  threatened.  This  absorbed  about  three  thou 
sand  of  my  available  force.  There  remained  a  little  less 
than  five  thousand  men  who  could  be  thrown  into  action. 
The  enemy  had  every  advantage  of  position.  The  ground 
was  so  obstructed  that  we  must  fight  dismounted,  and  for 
this  kind  of  fighting  the  enemy,  being  armed  with  Enfield 


GENERAL   WILLIAM    SOOY   SMITH'S   DEFEAT.     193 

and  Austrian  rifles,  was  better  prepared  than  our  force, 
armed  mainly  with  carbines.  There  was  but  one  of  my 
brigades  that  I  could  rely  upon  with  full  confidence.  The 
conduct  of  the  others  on  the  march  had  been  such  as  to 
indicate  a  lack  of  discipline  and  to  create  in  my  mind 
the  most  serious  apprehensions  as  to  what  would  be  their 
conduct  in  action.  Any  reverse  to  my  command  would 
have  been  fatal.  I  was  ten  days  late  with  my  movement, 
owing  to  the  delay  of  Waring's  brigade  in  arriving  from 
Columbus,  and  had  every  reason  to  believe  that  General 
Sherman,  having  accomplished  the  purpose  of  his  expedi 
tion,  had  returned  to  Vicksburg.  Under  the  circum 
stances  I  determined  not  to  move  my  encumbered  com 
mand  into  the  trap  set  for  me  by  the  rebels.  We  had  de 
stroyed  two  million  bushels  of  corn,  two  thousand  bales  of 
Confederate  cotton,  and  thirty  miles  of  railroad.  We  had 
captured  about  two  hundred  prisoners  and  three  thousand 
horses  and  mules,  and  rescued  as  many  negroes  well  fitted 
for  our  service.  I  therefore  determined  to  move  back  and 
draw  the  enemy  after  me  that  I  might  select  my  own  po 
sitions  and  fight  with  the  advantages  in  our  favor.  In 
this  I  succeeded  perfectly,  disposing  my  forces  behind 
every  crest  of  a  hill  and  in  every  skirt  of  timber  that  fur 
nished  us  cover,  inflicting  heavy  losses  upon  them  at  every 
attack,  while  our  losses  were  uniformly  light,  until  we 
reached  Okolona,  where,  after  the  Fourth  Regulars  had 
driven  one  entire  rebel  brigade  out  of  the  town  three 
times,  a  portion  of  McCrilli's  brigade,  sent  to  the  support 
of  the  Fourth,  stampeded  at  the  yells  of  our  own  men 
charging  and  galloped  back  through  and  over  everything, 
spreading  confusion  wherever  they  went  and  driving  Per 
kins's  battery  of  six  small  mountain  howitzers  off  the 
road  into  a  ditch,  where  the  imperfect  carriages  they 
were  mounted  upon  were  all  so  wrecked  that  we  could  not 
get  the  battery  along,  and  had  to  abandon  it  after  spiking 
the  guns,  chopping  the  carriages  to  pieces,  and  destroying 
the  ammunition.  Organized  forces  were  immediately 
thrown  to  the  rear  and  the  enemy  handsomely  repulsed. 
Skirmishing  continued  about  ten  miles,  when  we  reached 


IQ4  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

a  fine  position  at  Iveys  Farm.  Here  I  deployed  a  line  of 
dismounted  men,  consisting  of  four  regiments.  A  battery 
was  placed  near  the  road  where  it  could  enfilade  the  col 
umn  as  it  advanced.  Just  to  the  right  of  the  battery  the 
Fourth  Missouri  Cavalry  (and  six  companies  of  the  Sev 
enth  Indiana  Cavalry)  were  formed  and  mounted  for  a 
saber  charge,  and  the  Third  Tennessee  Cavalry  (mounted) 
was  sent  to  th'e  extreme  right  with  orders  to  charge  in 
flank  when  the  troops  made  the  direct  charge  in  front. 

While  these  dispositions  were  being  made  the  enemy 
pressed  our  rear,  that  was  well  posted,  very  heavily,  and 
were  sorely  handled.  The  rear-guard  was  at  last  called 
off  rapidly  and  the  rebel  column  let  into  the  space  pre 
pared  for  them,  when  the  battery  opened  upon  them  in 
very  gallant  style,  and  the  dismounted  troops  poured 
volley  after  volley  into  them.  They  pressed  their  attack 
with  great  determination,  but  at  last  fell  back.  Just  as 
they  began  to  retire  they  were  charged  very  successfully 
by  the  Fourth  Missouri  and  Seventh  Indiana  in  front  and 
by  the  Third  Tennessee  in  flank.  This  completely  routed 
them,  and  they  were  driven  from  the  field  with  heavy  loss. 
It  was  reported  that  Colonel  Forrest,  brother  to  the  gen 
eral,  commander  of  a  brigade,  and  Colonel  Barksdale  fell, 
and  McCulloch,  another  commander  of  a  brigade,  and 
Colonel  Barteau  were  seriously  wounded.  Strong  detach 
ments  were  thrown  out  upon  our  flanks  at  every  vulnerable 
point,  and  every  attempt  to  cut  our  column  by  a  flank 
attack  was  met  and  thwarted.  Our  march  was  so  rapid 
that  the  enemy  could  not  outstrip  and  intercept  us,  which 
they  constantly  endeavored  to  do.  No  heavy  fighting  oc 
curred  after  we  passed  the  Ivey  Farm,  although  skirmish 
ing  continued  as  far  as  Pontotoc.  I  then  moved  back  to 
Memphis  with  everything  that  we  had  captured,  content 
with  the  very  great  injury  we  had  inflicted  upon  them, 
and  feeling  that  everything  had  been  achieved  that  was  at 
all  practicable  under  the  circumstances.  Returning  I 
drew  the  enemy  after  me  and  inflicted  heavy  losses  upon 
them,  and  saved  my  command  with  all  our  captured  stock 
and  prisoners  and  rescued  negroes  with  very  trifling  losses 


GENERAL   WILLIAM    SOOY   SMITH'S   DEFEAT.     195 

except  in  stragglers  captured.  Attempting  to  cut  through 
to  Sherman,  1  would  have  lost  my  entire  command,  and, 
of  course,  could  have  rendered  him  no  assistance.  .  .  . 
Information  since  obtained  fully  justifies  the  decision  to 
retire  before  Forrest's  force  from  West  Point.  General 
Sherman's  expeditionary  force  had  withdrawn  from  Merid 
ian  before  my  arrival  at  West  Point  on  a  line  that  could 
not  have  been  known  to  me.  Forrest's  force  is  ascertained 
to  have  been  rather  above  than  below  my  estimate.  Chal 
mers  was  moving  with  two  brigades  to  my  rear,  while  Lee, 
with  from  three  thousand  to  four  thousand,  was  ordered  up 
to  join  Forrest  in  my  front.  .  .  .  The  encumbrances  which 
already  overburdened  me  would  have  increased,  and  it  was 
impossible  to  shake  them  off,  and,  involved  in  an  exceeding 
ly  intricate  and  obstructed  country,  I  would  have  been  com 
pelled  to  contend  with  a  force  numerically  largely  supe 
rior  to  my  own ;  and  looking  back  upon  the  movement  I 
would  in  no  way  have  been  justifiable  in  moving  at  the 
time  appointed  without  the  whole  force  which  I  was  or 
dered  to  take.  Had  I  moved  with  the  Second  and  Third 
Brigades  only  I  would  have  had  less  than  five  thousand 
men  instead  of  seven  thousand,  would  have  had  the  odds 
largely  against  me  from  the  moment  I  dropped  the  in 
fantry  brigade  and  crossed  the  Tallahatchie  River,  and, 
meeting  with  disaster,  would  have  been  subjected  to  se 
vere  censure.  The  brigade  moved  from  Columbus  under 
orders  not  my  own,  and  for  its  delay  I  am  in  no  wise  re 
sponsible.  This  much  I  feel  constrained  to  write  in  the 
nature  of  a  defense  for  the  sake  of  my  command,  as  it 
must  participate  in  the  mortification  of  a  supposed  failure, 
when  we  bear  with  us  the  consciousness  of  success  and 
duty  well  performed.  A  full  list  of  prisoners  captured — 
about  two  hundred — is  in  course  of  preparation,  and  will 
be  forwarded,  etc.* 

General  Sherman,  in  forwarding  this  instructive 
and  valuable  report  from  Nashville  to  the  adjutant- 
general  at  Washington  on  the  Qth  of  April,  1864, 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxii,  pp.  254,  260. 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

merely  indorsed  it  as  follows:  "  I  have  heretofore  re 
ported  in  this  case,  and  could  now  only  add  that  Gen 
eral  Smith  should  have  moved  on  time  at  any  and 
every  risk.  His  instructions  (of  January  27th)  are  as 
specific  as  could  possibly  have  been  made  before  the 
occurrence  of  the  events." 

Sherman  never  forgave  Smith  for  his  defeat.  In 
his  Memoirs,  he  says :  "  General  Smith  never  regained 
my  confidence,  though  I  still  regard  him  as  a  most 
accomplished  gentleman  and  a  skilful  engineer.  Since 
the  close  of  the  war  he  has  appealed  to  me  to  relieve 
him  of  that  censure,  but  I  could  not  do  it  because  it 
would  falsify  history."  General  Grant  said :  "  General 
Sooy  Smith  was  ordered  to  move  about  the  ist  of 
February  against  Forrest,  who  was  known  to  be  south 
east  of  Memphis  with  four  thousand  cavalry,  com 
posed  of  well-drilled,  disciplined  men,  who,  under  so 
able  a  leader,  were  very  effective.  \  Smith's  command 
was  nearly  double  that  of  Forrest,  but  not  equal  man  to 
man,  for  the  lack  of  experience,  such  as  Forrest's  men 
had.  The  fact  is,  that  troops  that  have  fought  a  few 
battles  and  won,  and  followed  up  their  victories,  im 
prove  upon  what  they  were  before  to  an  extent  that  can 
hardly  be  counted  by  percentage.  The  difference  in 
result  is  often  decisive  victory  instead  of  inglorious 
defeat.  This  same  difference  is  often  due  to  the  way 
troops  are  officered,  and  for  the  particular  kind  of  war 
fare  which  Forrest  carried  on  the  army  could  present 
^10  more  effective  officer  than  he  was.  Sherman  had 
spent  two  weeks  at  Meridian  waiting  to  hear  from  Sooy 
Smith,  who  had  met  Forrest,  and,  he  hoped,  had  gained 
a  decisive  victory  because  of  superiority  of  numbers. 
Hearing  nothing,  he  started  on  his  return  trip  to 
Vicksburg.  There  he  learned  that  Smith  did  meet  For 
rest,  but  the  result  was  decidedly  in  Forrest's  favor." 
(Personal  Memoirs  U.  S.  Grant,  vol.  ii,  page  no.) 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THIRD    RAID    INTO    WEST    TENNESSEE. 

FORREST  remained  at  Columbus,  Miss.,  no  longer 
than  was  necessary  to  rest  and  equip  his  command. 
The  men,  flushed  with  success,  were  eager  to  follow 
him  into  any  field.  He  was  soon  joined  by  General 
Buford,  with  three  small  regiments  of  Kentuckians 
transferred  from  the  infantry  and  reduced  by  hard 
campaigns,  exposure,  and  sickness  to  about  seven  hun 
dred  effective  men,  and  only  about  a  third  of  whom 
were  mounted.  Forrest's  plan  now  was  to  make  an 
other  move  into  West  Tennessee,  and  extend  it  as 
far  as  Columbus  and  Paducah,  Ky.,  give  the  men  an 
opportunity  to  supply  themselves  with  clothing  and 
horses,  and  send  out  supplies.  The  unmounted  Ken 
tuckians  gladly  agreed  to  march  back  toward  their 
homes. 

Four  small  brigades  were  organized.  The  First, 
commanded  by  Colonel  J.  J.  Neely ;  the  Second,  by 
Colonel  Robert  McCulloch ;  the  Third,  by  Colonel  A. 
P.  Thompson,  and  the  Fourth  Brigade  by  General  T. 
H.  Bell.  General  Chalmers  was  assigned  to  the  com 
mand  of  the  First  Division,  composed  of  First  and  Sec 
ond  Brigades,  in  orders  issued  on  the  7th  of  March. 
Meantime  General  Richardson  had  been  sent  to  Grena 
da,  and  thence  southward  seventy-five  miles,  to  cooper 
ate  with  General  Ross  in  an  attack  upon  Yazoo  City, 
which  was  a  failure,  although  the  Federals  retreated 
after  having  accomplished  their  purpose  of  drawing 

197 


IQ  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

off  a  part  of  Forrest's  command.  Richardson  returned 
to  Grenada,  was  relieved  from  duty  on  the  I2th,  and 
his  brigade  joined  the  First  Division,  near  Panola, 
where  it  had  arrived  by  widely  divergent  roads  two 
days  previously. 

The  Federal  commanders  well  knew  that  Forrest 
would  soon  aim  another  blow  at  some  point  upon  or 
within  their  lines,  and  in  the  despatches  passing  at  that 
period,  expressed  a  variety  of  opinions  as  to  where  he 
would  next  appear.  But  he  was  a  man  of  reticence, 
who  kept  his  own  counsels  well,  and  only  disclosed  his 
plans  to  a  chosen  few  until  the  hour  came  to  mount. 
The  entire  command  was  set  in  motion  on  the  I5th  of 
March.  Buford's  division,  composed  of  Thompson's 
and  Bell's  brigades,  the  Seventh  Tennessee,  and 
McDonald's  battalion  marched  in  the  direction  of  Cor 
inth,  but  when  near  there  deflected  to  the  left,  and 
marched  to  Jackson.  Faulkner's  regiment,  on  the  left, 
crossed  the  now  abandoned  railroad,  and  marched  by 
way  of  Bolivar  to  Denmark.  General  Forrest  reached 
Jackson,  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  on 
the  2Oth,  and  on  the  22d  he  moved  on  Trenton,  with  his 
escort  and  the  Seventh  Tennessee  and  Twelfth  Ken 
tucky  regiments.  Colonel  Wilson,  with  five  companies 
of  the  Sixteenth  Tennessee,  was  left  at  Jackson  to  hold 
the  place,  and  care  for  the  disabled  and  dismounted 
men  who  could  not  accompany  the  expedition. 

Colonel  Duckworth  was  ordered  on  the  23d  to 
move  with  the  Seventh  Tennessee,  Faulkner's  regiment, 
and  McDonald's  battalion,  and  capture  Union  City. 
Reaching  there  before  daylight  the  next  morning  he 
found  the  place  well  fortified,  and  occupied  by  a  force 
capable  of  prolonged  resistance.  Colonel  Hawkins,  of 
the  Second  Tennessee  Federal  Cavalry,  who  had  been 
captured  by  Forrest  in  1862,  was  in  command.  Duck 
worth  'closed  in  on  the  place  as  soon  as  it  was  light 


THIRD    RAID    INTO   WEST    TENNESSEE.         IQ9 

enough,  and  skirmished  sharply  until  ten  o'clock,  losing 
several  men  in  killed  and  wounded.  But,  having  no 
artillery,  he  realized  that  he  could  not  storm  the  place 
without  much  loss  of  life.  Drawing  off  his  men,  he 
resorted  to  one  of  Forrest's  favorite  methods  of  "  pre 
venting  the  further  effusion  of  blood."  He  wrote 
a  peremptory  demand  in  the  name  of  Forrest  for  the 
surrender  of  the  garrison,  stating  that  he  had  a  large 
force,  and  would  not  be  responsible  for  the  conse 
quences  if  obliged  to  take  the  stockade  by  assault.  This 
was  sent  in  by  Captain  Henry  Livingstone,  Adjutant 
Will  Pope,  of  the  Seventh  Tennessee,  and  Lieutenant 
William  McDonnell,  of  Henderson's  scouts. 

Hawkins  refused  to  surrender,  but  wanted  to  see 
Forrest  in  person.  He  was  allowed  to  come  out  of  his 
lines,  but  was  met  by  Colonel  Duckworth,  who  told  him 
sharply  that  the  general  would  not  confer  with  any  one 
below  his  own  rank,  and  eloquently  advised  him  to 
surrender  while  he  could,  and  enlarged  upon  the  dire 
calamities  that  would  befall  the  garrison  if  a  capitula 
tion  was  not  agreed  upon  in  five  minutes.  Meantime 
some  of  Duckworth's  men  mounted  a  black  log  on  the 
forewheels  of  a  common  wagon,  drawn  by  two  mules, 
with  an  old  box  similarly  paraded  on  other  wheels  in 
imitation  of  a  caisson,  and  drove  around  in  the  bushes 
as  if  looking  for  a  good  position  for  artillery.  This 
device  was  not  without  its  influence.  Hawkins  weak 
ened,  and  surrendered  at  eleven  o'clock,  when  help  was 
near  at  hand.  General  Brayman,  with  two  thousand 
men,  a  battery,  and  mounted  scouts  on  a  train,  was 
hurrying  with  all  possible  speed  to  the  relief  of  this 
outpost,  but  was  stopped  at  a  burned  bridge  only  six 
miles  away,  and  there,  hearing  of  the  surrender,  he 
returned  to  Columbus  and  thence  to  Cairo.  In  his 
report,  he  says : 

"  I  heard  with  great  pain  and  surprise  that  Colonel 
14 


200  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

Hawkins  had  surrendered  at  n  A.  M..  and  had.  with  his 
force,  been  removed,  and  his  fortifications  destroyed. 
The  force  of  the  enemy  does  not  appear  more  than  one- 
fourth  the  number  reported  (seven  thousand),  and 
without  artillery.  The  number  of  men  surrendered 
is  probably  five  hundred,  some  seventy-five  having  es 
caped.  All  were  armed  and  equipped;  about  three 
hundred  mounted.  A  few  mules,  three  wagons,  and 
an  inconsiderable  amount  of  public  property  were  lost 
and  destroyed.  I  learn  that  Colonel  Hawkins's  com 
mand  had  been  recently  paid  for  over  a  year's  service, 
and  that  the  aggregate  of  individual  loss  on  the  part  of 
the  officers  and  soldiers  will  reach  some  $60,000.*' 

Colonel  Duckworth  lost  no  time  in  removing  such 
useful  supplies  as  were  found,  burned  what  remained, 
and  sent  the  prisoners  southward.  McDonald's  battal 
ion  was  moved  on  the  road  toward  Memphis,  and 
Duckworth  started  back  to  join  the  main  command. 

Forrest  had  advanced  rapidly  with  his  escort  and 
a  portion  of  Buford's  division  toward  Paducah.  and 
on  nearing  that  point,  threw  forward  detachments  on 
the  various  approaches,  and  about  1.30  P.  M.,  of  the 
25th,  surprised  and  captured  the  Federal  outpost, 
about  fifty  men,  at  "  Eden  "  Hill.  He  then  pressed  for 
ward  rapidly,  and  at  about  2  p.  M.  had  driven  in  or  cap 
tured  all  the  pickets.  The  command  was  immediately 
thrown  into  position.  General  Buford,  with  part 
of  the  Kentucky  brigade,  consisting  of  the  Third 
Kentucky,  commanded  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  G.  A.  C. 
Holt,  the  Seventh  Kentucky,  commanded  by  Colonel 
Edward  Crossland.  and  the  Eighth  Kentucky,  com 
manded  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Shacklett,  were  imme 
diately  dismounted,  and  were  advanced  on  the  front 
and  the  extreme  left,  closing  in  on  that  side  of  the 
fort  to  feel  the  strength  of  the  enemy.  The  Third 
Kentucky,  Colonel  Thompson's  regiment,  in  command 


THIRD   RAID   INTO  WEST    TEX:.  2OI 

of  Lieutenant-Colonel  G.  A.  C.  Holt,  occupied  the 
extreme  left  of  the  line.  General  Forrest,  with  the 
balance  of  his  command,  was  in  person  on  the  right, 
and,  pressing  up  the  river,  drove  everything1  be 
fore  him  into  the  fort  and  on  the  gunboats.  In  the 
meantime  the  Kentucky  brigade  had  rushed  forward 
under  a  terrific  fire  from  the  fort  and  two  gunboats, 
and  taken  position  under  cover  of  houses  in  close  range 
of  the  fort.  At  this  time  the  entire  city,  except  the 
fort,  including  United  States  Government  stores  and 
supplies,  and  a  large  number  of  mules,  horses,  and 
wagons,  was  in  full  possession  of  Forrest's  troops. 
General  Forrest,  on  the  right,  had  burned  the  dry-dock, 
one  steamboat,  and  many  bales  of  cotton,  and  cap 
tured  a  great  number  of  Government  horses  and  wag- 
ens,  and  commissary*  and  quartermaster  supplies. 
From  the  covered  position  near  the  fort  and  river. 
the  sharpshooters  kept  up  a  continuous  and  effective 
fire  on  the  fort  and  gunboats  for  about  half  an  hour. 
The  fort  was  closely  invested. 

At  this  juncture.  General  Forrest  sounded  a  truce, 
and  sent  in,  under  a  flag,  a  note  in  his  usual  character 
istic  style,  demanding  the  unconditional  surrender  of 
the  garrison.  Colonel  S.  G.  Hicks,  of  the  Fortieth 
Illinois  Infantry,  a  gallant  officer,  was  commandant  of 
the  post,  and  declined  to  surrender.  \\~hereupon  firing 
recommenced  from  the  fort  and  two  gunboats,  which 
was  replied  to  sharply  by  General  Forrest's  troops  from 
their  sheltered  positions,  firing  at  every  head  that  ap 
peared  above  the  parapet,  or  on  the  gunboats,  inflict 
ing  considerable  loss  on  the  Federals. 

General  Forrest  had  no  artillery  except  two  little 
mountain  howitzers,  commonly  called  in  army  parlance 
**  bull  pups.'"  commanded  by  Major  Upton,  which  were 
utterly  useless  in  an  engagement  of  this  character  ex 
cept  to  make  a  noise.  If  General  Forrest  could  have 


202  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

had  even  his  rifle  battery  with  him  on  this  occasion, 
the  fate  of  Colonel  Hicks  would  doubtless  have  been 
very  different. 

The  fort  was  well  garrisoned,  besides  having  a 
wide,  deep  ditch  around  it  with  abatis  work,  which 
rendered  it  almost  impregnable  to  an  infantry  charge 
unaided  by  artillery.  It  was  not  the  purpose  of  Gen 
eral  Forrest  to  attempt  to  storm  it,  as  the  consequent 
loss  of  life  would  not  justify  such  a  course.  However, 
Colonel  A.  P.  Thompson,  who  was  in  sight  of  his 
home,  without  orders  to  do  so  concluded  to  storm 
and  capture  the  fort  with  his  three  small  veteran  Ken 
tucky  regiments.  He  ordered  a  charge,  which,  al 
though  ill-judged,  was  made  in  the  most  gallant  style. 
The  brave  Kentuckians  dashed  forward  to  the  ditch, 
which  they  found  impassable  without  pontoons  or  lad 
ders.  This  charge  was  met  by  a  galling  fire  of  grape, 
canister,  shrapnel,  and  shell,  as  well  as  small  arms 
from  the  fort  and  two  gunboats,  which  caused  the 
brigade  to  fall  back  with  considerable  loss.  General 
Buford  sent  an  order  by  his  assistant  inspector-gen 
eral,  Captain  D.  E.  Myers,  to  Colonel  Thompson,  to 
fall  back  under  cover  of  a  line  of  houses,  where  his 
men  could  be  protected.  Captain  Myers  was  directed 
to  proceed  to  the  right  of  the  brigade,  and  down  the 
line  to  the  left,  delivering  the  order  to  the  colonels  of 
the  regiments,  until  he  found  Colonel  Thompson. 
This  he  did,  running  the  gantlet  of  the  entire  line, 
and  did  not  receive  a  scratch.  Colonel  Thompson  was 
with  his  old  regiment  (Third  Kentucky)  on  the  ex 
treme  left,  and  was  killed  just  before  this  staff-officer 
reached  him,  having  been  struck  by  a  shell  or  solid 
shot  and  literally  blown  to  pieces,  a  larq-e  piece  of  his 
flesh  having  stuck  on  the  shoulder  of  his  aide,  Lieu 
tenant  Mathews. 

Thus,  in  sight  of  his  home,  the  brave  and  gallant 


THIRD   RAID    INTO   WEST    TENNESSEE.        203 

Thompson  gave  up  his  life  to  the  cause  which  he  had 
espoused.  Here  occurred  most  of  the  casualties  of  the 
day.  The  brigade  fell  back,  under  terrific  fire,  to  the 
next  line  of  houses  (Colonel  Edward  Crossland  suc 
ceeding  to  the  command  of  the  brigade),  where  the  fire 
was  kept  up  for  several  hours  and  until  all  the  cap 
tured  Government  property  had  been  removed,  and 
about  eleven  o'clock,  General  Forrest  retired,  and 
bivouacked  a  few  miles  from  the  scene  of  action.  The 
Federal  forces  did  not  attempt  to  come  out  of  the  fort, 
or  to  follow.  The  main  object  of  the  expedition  was, 
as  claimed,  accomplished. 

In  this  connection,  it  is  proper  to  note  an  incident 
of  the  fight  at  Paducah.  While  Colonel  Thompson's 
brigade  was  so  hotly  engaged,  Major  Upton,  not  able 
to  remain  a  looker-on  while  comrades  were  engaged, 
moved  his  two  mountain  howitzers  to  a  slight  promi 
nence  near  the  river,  and  commenced  firing  on  the  gun 
boats.  General  Buford,  discovering  this,  and  that  one 
of  the  gunboats  was  backing  out  so  as  to  get. the  range 
of  the  little  battery,  directed  one  of  his  staff-officers 
(Captain  D.  E.  Myers)  to  order  him  to  get  away 
from  there  quick,  but  before  this  officer  reached  Major 
Upton,  the  gunboat,  with  a  well-directed  shell,  blew 
away  one  of  the  little  guns,  killing  and  wounding  two 
or  three  men.  It  required  no  order  for  Major  Upton 
to  retreat  with  the  other  gun.  This  attack  with  his 
little  howitzers  on  the  gunboats  was  one  of  the  most 
daring  episodes  of  the  war,  because  it  would  have  been 
a  mere  accident  if  any  one  of  the  gunboats  could  have 
been  injured  by  the  fire  from  these  "  pop-guns." 

On  March  26th,  General  Forrest,  with  his  prison 
ers  and  captured  property,  retired  to  Mayfield,  Ky., 
where  the  Kentucky  soldiers  who  lived  in  that  part  of 
the  State  were  furloughed,  in  order  to  visit  their  homes 
and  improve  their  mounts  and  wardrobes,  with  instruc- 


204  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

tions  to  report  for  duty  on  the  3d  of  April,  at  Trenton, 
Tenn.  To  their  credit  it  is  said  that  every  man  re 
turned  and  reported  for  duty  on  time. 

In  a  report  to  Lieutenant-General  Polk,  on  the  27th 
of  March,  he  says  :  "  Left  Jackson  on  the  23d ;  captured 
Union  City  on  the  24th,  with  four  hundred  and  fifty 
prisoners,  among  them  Hawkins  and  most  of  his  regi 
ment,  about  two  hundred  horses  and  five  hundred 
small  arms,  also  took  possession  of  Hickman,  the 
enemy  having  passed  it.  I  moved  now  with  Buford's 
division  direct  from  Jackson  to  Paducah  in  fifty  hours ; 
attacked  it  on  the  evening  of  the  26th,  drove  the  enemy 
to  their  gunboats  and  forts ;  held  the  place  for  ten 
hours  and  could  have  held  it  longer,  but  found  the 
smallpox  raging  and  evacuated  the  place ;  captured 
many  stores  and  horses,  burned  up  sixty  bales  of  cot 
ton,  one  steamer,  and  the  dry-dock,  bringing  out  fifty 
prisoners.  My  loss  at  Union  City  and  Paducah,  as 
far  as  known,  is  twenty-five  killed  and  wounded, 
among  them  Colonel  Thompson,  commanding  Ken 
tucky  brigade,  killed ;  Lieutenant-Colonel  Lannom, 
Faulkner's  regiment,  wounded  dangerously,  and  Colo 
nel  Crossland,  of  the  Seventh  Kentucky,  and  Lieu 
tenant-Colonel  Morton,  of  the  Second  Tennessee, 
slightly  wounded.  Have  despatched  Gholson  at  Tu 
pelo  to  meet  prisoners  at  Corinth  and  take  them  (five 
hundred)  to  you.  I  hold  possession  of  all  the  country 
except  posts  on  the  river.  Think  if  I  can  remain  un 
molested  here  fifteen  days  I  will  be  able  to  add  two 
thousand  men  to  my  command."* 

Forrest  summed  up  the  loss  of  the  enemy  to  this 
date  during  the  campaign  at  seventy-nine  killed,  one 
hundred  and  two  wounded,  and  six  hundred  and 
twelve  captured.  Colonel  S.  G.  Hicks,  commanding 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxii,  part  i.  p.  607. 


THIRD   RAID    INTO   WEST    TENNESSEE. 

the  post  at  Paducah,  reported  in  regard  to  the  engage 
ment  at  that  place  on  the  25th  of  March,  that  his  force 
consisted  of  six  hundred  and  sixty-five  men,  and  that 
"  Forrest  had  six  thousand  five  hundred  men.  The 
casualties  of  my  command  were  fourteen  killed  and 
forty-six  wounded.  The  enemy's  loss,  according  to 
the  most  reliable  information  that  I  could  obtain,  was 
three  hundred  killed  and  from  one  thousand  to  twelve 
hundred  wounded.  His  killed  and  wounded  may  be 
safely  set  down  at  fifteen  hundred.  General  Forrest 
admitted  in  conversation  with  some  of  his  friends  in 
this  city  that  in  no  engagement  during  the  war  had  he 
been  so  badly  cut  and  crippled  as  at  this  place.  Our 
loss  in  Government  stores  was  inconsiderable.  The 
colored  troops  fought  as  bravely  as  any  in  the  fight. 
The  gunboats  Peosta,  Captain  Smith,  and  Paw  Paw, 
Captain  O'Neill,  were  present,  and  rendered  valuable 
service  in  shelling  the  city  and  operating  on  the  flank 
of  the  enemy  as  they  surrounded  the  fort."* 

General  Chalmers  had  been  ordered  to  gather  up 
the  scattered  command  in  north  Mississippi,  and  follow 
General  Forrest  into  West  Tennessee.  Chalmers  moved 
up  by  way  of  La  Grange,  and  it  was  one  of  his  regi 
ments,  Neely's,  that  encountered  and  drove  back  Colo 
nel  Fielding  Hurst's  regiment  on  the  2pth  of  March, 
capturing  fifty  thousand  rounds  of  much-needed  am 
munition.  A  Confederate  writer  of  the  period  imme 
diately  following  the  war,  alluded  to  Hurst's  men  as 
those  "  who  had  become  as  conspicuous  for  their 
craven  conduct  in  the  presence  of  armed  enemies  as 
for  rapacity  and  brutally  cruel  outrages  toward  the 
defenseless  citizens  of  the  country  which  they  devas 
tated."  Hurst's  command,  as  a  body,  did  not  again 
encounter  Forrest's  men. 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxii,  part  i,  pp.  548,  549. 


206  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

On  the  3d  of  April  Forrest  telegraphed  from  Jack 
son,  by  way  of  Waterford,  to  Lieutenant-General  Polk, 
at  Demopolis,  as  follows :  "  Six  hundred  Federal  pris 
oners  will  arrive  at  Ripley,  Miss.,  to-day,  en  route  for 
Demopolis.  Colonel  Neely  engaged  Hurst  on  the  29th 
of  March,  near  Bolivar,  capturing  his  entire  wagon- 
train,  routing  and  driving  him  to  Memphis,  killing 
thirty,  including  two  captains,  and  taking  thirty-five 
prisoners,  including  one  captain."  On  the  4th  of  April 
he  reported  a  sharp  little  engagement  between  Lieu 
tenant-Colonel  Crews's  battalion  and  two  regiments 
of  Grierson's  cavalry,  fifteen  miles  east  of  Raleigh,  on 
the  Somerville  road,  in  which  Crews  lost  one  man 
severely  and  one  slightly  wounded,  while  the  enemy 
had  six  killed,  fifteen  or  twenty  wounded,  and  sus 
tained  a  loss  of  three  prisoners.  The  Federals,  taking 
this  to  be  the  advance-guard  of  a  large  force,  fell  back 
upon  Memphis.  This  incident  serves  to  illustrate  how 
opposing  forces  might  reasonably  be  mistaken  as  to 
the  strength  of  an  enemy.  A  well-handled  detachment 
could  be  made  to  appear  as  the  advance-guard  of  a 
division.  Forrest  struck  in  so  many  unexpected  places 
that  one  of  his  squadrons,  circling  around  between  the 
lines,  nearly  always  created  the  impression  that  he  was 
close  at  hand  to  attempt  some  daring  venture.  Hence 
it  was  not  strange  that  General  Grierson,  with  a  con 
siderable  force  thrown  out  east  of  Memphis,  should 
conclude  that  it  was  prudent  to  retire. 

On  the  4th  of  April  Forrest  made  a  clear  and  com 
prehensive  report  to  Lieutenant-General  Polk,  in  which 
he  said :  "  I  have,  as  far  as  prudent,  allowed  my  troops 
an  opportunity  of  going  home.  Am  now  concentrating 
and  preparing  for  any  move  the  enemy  may  make,  or 
for  offensive  operations,  provided  they  do  not  move 
on  me.  ...  If  permitted  by  the  lieutenant-general 
commanding  to  remain  in  West  Tennessee,  would  be 


THIRD    RAID    INTO   WEST    TENNESSEE.         2O/ 

glad  to  have  my  artillery  with  me,  and  will  send  for  it, 
as  I  could  operate  effectively  with  my  rifle  battery  on 
the  rivers.  With  the  small  guns  I  have  here  it  would 
be  folly  to  attempt  the  destruction  or  capture  of  boats. 
I  am  yet  in  hopes  the  lieutenant-general  commanding 
will  repair  and  operate  the  railroad  to  Corinth,  as 
suggested  in  a  former  letter.  With  a  brigade  of  in 
fantry  at  Corinth  as  a  force  upon  which  I  could  fall 
back  if  too  hard  pressed,  I  am  satisfied  that  I  can  hold 
West  Tennessee  against  three  times  my  numbers,  and 
could  send  out  from  here  all  conscripts  and  deserters 
for  service  in  infantry.  At  present  it  is  impracticable, 
as  I  am  without  the  transportation  necessary  to  supply 
them  with  rations  to  Okolona  through  a  country  al 
ready  depleted,  and  whose  inhabitants  are  suffering  for 
food.  I  find  corn  scarcer  than  I  had  expected,  but  have 
plenty  of  meal,  flour,  and  bacon  for  troops.  If  supplied 
with  the  right  kind  of  money  or  cotton,  I  can  furnish 
my  command  with  all  small-arm  ammunition  required, 
and,  I  think,  with  small  arms  also.  General  Chalmers 
is  here,  and  will  be  kept  in  readiness  for  any  move  that 
may  be  made  from  Memphis.  General  Buford's  divi 
sion  is  above  this,  and  concentrating  at  Eaton,  ten  miles 
west  of  Trenton.  As  I  came  up  here  I  employed  a  man 
to  get  up  lead.  He  writes  me  that  he  has  from  eight 
thousand  to  ten  thousand  pounds  at  Corinth,  which  I 
shall  send  out  as  soon  as  possible,  and  will  continue 
to  get  up  all  that  can  be  had. 

"  There  is  a  Federal  force  of  five  or  six  hundred  at 
Fort  Pillow,  which  I  shall  attend  to  in  a  day  or  two,  as 
they  have  horses  and  supplies  which  we  need.  There 
are  about  six  thousand  troops  now  in  Memphis ;  all 
else  gone  up  the  river.  It  is  clear  that  they  are  concen 
trating  all  their  forces  before  Richmond  and  at  Chat 
tanooga.  I  have  ordered  everything  I  have  at  Colum 
bus  moved  up  to  Aberdeen,  and  Morton's  battery  up  to 


208  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

Tupelo  to  report  to  General  Gholson,  and  shall  bring 
it  in  here  unless  ordered  to  the  contrary,  as  the  little 
guns  I  have  are  of  no  use  to  me."* 

On  the  9th  or  loth  of  April,  General  Forrest  met 
his  division  commanders,  Buford  and  Chalmers,  and 
some  of  his  brigade  commanders,  in  Jackson,  for  con 
sultation  as  to  his  next  move.  At  this  conference, 
Forrest  determined  to  make  a  simultaneous  demon 
stration  on  Memphis,  Columbus,  Paducah,  and  Fort 
Pillow,  the  latter  to  be  captured.  In  pursuance  of  this 
plan,  he  ordered  Colonel  J.  J.  Neely  with  his  forces  to 
move  on  Memphis  from  the  northeast,  and  create  the 
impression  that  Forrest's  whole  command  was  moving 
in  that  direction ;  and  at  the  same  time  ordered  Colo 
nel  John  McGuirk,  with  two  Mississippi  regiments,  to 
push  close  to  Memphis  from  the  south,  and  give  out 
the  impression  that  General  S.  D.  Lee  was  advancing 
with  his  whole  force  on  Memphis  from  that  direction. 
General  Buford,  with  the  Kentucky  brigade,  was  or 
dered  to  move  from  Trenton  and  make  demonstrations 
against  Columbus  and  Paducah,  Ky.,  and  capture  what 
Government  horses,  mules,  and  other  Government 
property  and  army  supplies  he  could,  and  prevent  re- 
enforcements  from  Fort  Pillow. 

General  Buford,  with  the  Kentucky  brigade,  moved 
rapidly  forward  from  Trenton  on  Columbus  and  Padu 
cah,  and  on  the  I2th,  the  same  day  of  the  attack  on 
Fort  Pillow,  his  scouts  were  in  the  vicinity  of  Colum 
bus,  and  his  whole  force  moving  in  that  direction. 
Leaving  Fulton,  Ky.,  to  his  right,  at  a  point  northwest 
of  Fulton,  General  Buford  detached  about  one  hundred 
and  sixty  picked  men,  under  command  of  Captain  H. 
A.  Tyler  and  his  trusted  staff-officer  and  assistant 
inspector-general,  Captain  David  E.  Myers,  with  in- 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxii,  part  i,  pp.  608,  609. 


THIRD    RAID    INTO   WEST    TENNESSEE. 

structions  to  push  northwest  to  Columbus,  Ky.,  with 
all  the  show  of  force  possible,  demand  its  surrender, 
make  the  impression  that  his  whole  division  was  there, 
and  create  a  diversion  in  favor  of  Fort  Pillow  and 
Paducah.  One  of  the  objects  that  General  Buford  had 
in  sending  Captain  Myers  with  this  expedition  was  that 
the  demand  for  surrender  should  be  carried  in  by  one 
of  his  staff-officers.  General  Buford  changed  his 
course  and  advanced  rapidly  on  Paducah,  where  it  had 
been  learned  that  a  considerable  number  of  Govern 
ment  horses  had  been  corralled  since  the  last  attack. 
It  was  important  to  capture  these  animals,  if  possible. 
Captains  Tyler  and  Myers,  with  their  detachment, 
pressed  forward,  and  at  daylight  on  the  morning  of  the 
I3th,  charged  and  drove  the  Federal  pickets  in  on  the 
various  roads  at  Columbus,  and  advanced  to  the  edge 
of  the  timber.  This  woods  was  admirably  adapted  to 
making  a  great  display  of  a  small  force  by  reason  of 
some  small,  open  spaces  in  full  view  of  the  fortifica 
tions.  The  Confederate  troops  were  marched  upon 
Columbus,  by  the  main  road,  showing  the  head  of  the 
column,  which  was  rapidly  wheeled  into  the  woods  on 
the  left,  where  it  was  circled  back  and  came  out  again, 
keeping  a  continuous  column  moving  for  some  time 
in  the  timber.  Then  the  head  of  this  circular  column 
was  for  a  considerable  time  moved  to  the  right  in  the 
same  manner,  to  create  the  impression  of  a  brigade 
movement.  Squads  were  sent  to  the  extreme  right 
and  left,  who  showed  themselves  at  different  places, 
so  as  to  give  the  impression  that  the  command  was 
formed  in  the  woods  all  along  the  Federal  right,  left, 
and  center.  Then  was  displayed  the  head  of  a  column 
of  fours  in  the  main  road  near  the  center.  They  also 
showed  about  one  hundred  men  to  the  left  and  right, 
and  advanced  in  a  thin  skirmish  line  into  the  open 
plain  for  some  distance,  when  Captains  Myers  and 


210  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

Jack  Horn  advanced  under  a  flag  of  truce,  with  the 
following  note  and  demand  for  surrender: 

HEADQUARTERS  CONFEDERATE  FORCES  BEFORE  COLUMBUS,  KY., 

April  13,  1864. 

To   Commanding  Officer,   United  States  Forces,   Colum 
bus,  Ky.: 

Fully  capable  of  taking  Columbus  and  its  garrison  by 
force,  I  desire  to  avoid  the  shedding  of  blood,  and  there 
fore  demand  the  unconditional  surrender  of  the  forces 
under  your  command.  Should  you  surrender,  the  negroes 
now  in  arms  will  be  returned  to  their  masters.  Should  I, 
however,  be  compelled  to  take  the  place,  no  quarter  will 
be  shown  to  the  negro  troops  whatever;  the  white  troops 
will  be  treated  as  prisoners  of  war. 

A.  BUFORD,  Brigadier-General* 

This  flag  of  truce  was  halted  at  the  outer  works, 
where  it  was  met  by  the  adjutant  and  another  staff  - 
officer,  who  blindfolded  the  truce-bearers  and  con 
ducted  them  to  the  headquarters  of  Colonel  Lawrence, 
the  commandant  of  the  post.  Next  they  were  con 
ducted  into  the  colonel's  room  and  the  bandages  taken 
from  their  eyes.  Introductions  followed,  and  the  order 
for  surrender  delivered.  Captain  Horn,  who  was  some 
what  of  a  wit,  remarked  to  the  colonel,  "  that  he  had 
seen  many  a  blind,  but  never  went  quite  that  blind 
before." 

Colonel  Lawrence  asked  to  be  excused  a  short  time 
to  consult  with  his  officers  as  to  the  demand  for  surren 
der.  He  very  thoughtfully  asked  whether  they  had 
breakfasted,  and,  being  replied  to  in  the  negative, 
said  he  would  have  some  prepared  for  them.  Captains 
Myers  and  Horn  were  left  in  this  room  by  themselves, 
which  was  next  to  the  telegraph-office,  divided  there 
from  by  a  plank  partition.  In  a  few  minutes  Colonel 
Lawrence  sent  in,  with  his  compliments,  two  delicious 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxii,  part  i,  p.  553. 


THIRD    RAID    INTO   WEST    TENNESSEE.        211 

cocktails,  and  a  considerable  time  thereafter  an  elegant 
breakfast. 

Much  that  was  going  on  in  the  telegraph-office 
could  be  heard,  and  Captain  Horn,  who  knew  some 
thing  of  telegraphy  himself,  could  catch  portions  of  the 
messages  being  sent,  and  gathered  therefrom  that  Colo 
nel  Lawrence  wTas  of  opinion  that  Buford's  whole  divi 
sion,  consisting  of  several  thousand  mounted  infantry 
and  artillery,  was  in  front  of  Columbus,  and  asked  for 
reenforcements.  The  writer  was  told  by  one  of  the 
parties  who  carried  the  flag  of  truce  that  at  one  time 
they  thought  the  garrison  would  be  surrendered,  and 
that  they,  in  undertone,  discussed  the  question  as  to 
how  they  could  manage  to  receive  the  surrender  with 
out  developing  the  weakness  of  their  force. 

The  reply  of  Colonel  Lawrence  was  considerably 
delayed.  He  was  evidently  playing  for  time,  which 
exactly  suited  the  Confederates.  Finally,  Captain  My 
ers  suggested  a  reply,  fearing  that  his  seeming  indif 
ference  might  arouse  suspicion.  This  reply  was  soon 
thereafter  handed  him  by  Colonel  Lawrence,  and  the 
envoys  were  politely  blindfolded  again,  and  escorted 
through  the  lines.  Colonel  Lawrence's  reply  was  as 
follows : 

HEADQUARTERS  OF  THE  POST  OF  COLUMBUS,  KY., 
April  13,  1864. 

Brigadier-General  A.  BUFORD,  Commanding  Confederate 
Forces  before  Columbus,  Ky. 

GENERAL:  Your  communication  of  this  date  received, 
and  in  reply  I  would  state  that  being  placed  by  my  Gov 
ernment  with  adequate  force  to  hold  and  repel  all  enemies 
from  my  post,  surrender  is  out  of  the  question. 
I  am,  general,  very  respectfully, 

WILLIAM  HUDSON  LAWRENCE, 

Colonel    Twenty-fourth    New    Jersey    Volunteers,    Com 
manding  Post* 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxii,  part  i,  p.  553. 


212  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

After  the  flag  of  truce  returned,  this  small  detach 
ment  remained  moving  about  and  making  a  display 
at  various  points  until  late  in  the  afternoon — no  one 
advancing  from  the  garrison  to  offer  battle,  and  of 
course  they  did  not  attempt  to  charge  the  works — when 
they  withdrew,  and  by  a  forced  march  all  night,  on  as 
near  a  direct  line  as  possible,  intercepted  General  Buford 
with  the  main  column  at  daylight,  about  three  miles 
from  Paducah,  on  the  morning  of  the  I4th,  and  im 
mediately  joined  in  the  second  attack  on  that  place. 

Soon  after  daylight  on  the  1/j.th  of  April,  General 
Buford  pushed  forward  his  advance  on  all  the  roads 
leading  into  Paducah,  Ky.,  rapidly,  capturing  a  portion 
of  the  pickets  and  outposts  and  driving  the  remainder 
into  the  fort,  and  closely  investing  the  same.  Under  a 
heavy  fire  from  the  artillery  of  the  fort  and  gunboats, 
Colonel  G.  A.  C.  Holt,  with  a  portion  of  the  Third  and 
Seventh  Kentucky  regiments,  had  dashed  in  and  cap 
tured  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  good  horses  and 
some  wagons  and  army  supplies,  and  sent  them  to  the 
rear.  Even  the  ever-vigilant  Colonel  Hicks,  comman 
dant  of  the  post,  was  evidently  taken  by  complete  sur 
prise,  as  the  outposts  and  pickets  were  cooking  their 
breakfasts.  He  could  not  have  supposed  that  Forrest, 
who  was  reported  moving  on  Memphis  and  Fort  Pil 
low  respectively  on  the  I2th  and  I3th,  and  Buford  be 
fore  Columbus  on  the  night  of  the  I3th,  would,  with 
any  part  of  his  command,  attack  him  in  force  at  day 
light  on  the  morning  of  the  I4th.  The  Confederates 
had  practical  possession  of  Paducah,  except  imme 
diately  around  the  fort.  At  this  juncture,  General 
Buford  sent  in  a  flag  of  truce,  demanded  the  surrender 
of  the  garrison  in  about  the  usual  phraseology,  signing 
the  name  of  General  Forrest  thereto,  to  which  Colonel 
Hicks  responded,  declining  to  do  so.* 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxii,  part  i,  p.  555. 


THIRD    RAID    INTO   WEST    TENNESSEE.         213 

General  Buforcl  only  had  about  twelve  hundred 
men,  and  no  artillery,  and  remained  in  the  outskirts 
of  Paducah  until  evening,  and  retired  some  miles  in 
the  direction  of  Mayfield  with  the  captured  horses  and 
other  property,  and  bivouacked  for  the  night  in  order 
to  give  his  troops  a  much-needed  rest.  The  next  day 
he  moved  through  Mayfield,  and  thence  to  Dresden, 
Tenn.,  for  a  few  days'  rest. 

Alluding  to  the  events  of  this  time  in  West  Ten 
nessee  and  Kentucky,  General  Grant,  in  his  Memoirs, 
says :  "  Forrest,  a  brave  and  intrepid  cavalry  general, 
was  in  the  west  with  a  large  force,  making  a  larger 
command  necessary  to  hold  what  we  had  gained  in  Mid 
dle  and  West  Tennessee.  We  could  not  abandon  any  of 
the  territory  north  of  the  line  held  by  the  enemy,  be 
cause  it  would  lay  the  Northern  States  open  to  in 
vasion.  Forrest  made  a  raid  in  West  Tennessee  up 
to  the  northern  border,  capturing  the  garrison  of  four 
or  five  hundred  men  at  Union  City,  and  followed  it  up 
by  an  attack  on  Paducah,  Ky.,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Ohio.  While  he  was  able  to  enter  the  city,  he  failed 
to  capture  the  forts  or  any  part  of  the  garrison.  On 
the  first  intelligence  of  Forrest's  raid,  I  telegraphed 
to  Sherman  to  send  all  his  cavalry  against  him,  and 
not  to  let  him  get  out  of  the  trap  he  had  put  himself 
into.  Forrest,  however,  fell  back  rapidly,  and  attacked 
the  troops  at  Fort  Pillow,  a  station  for  the  protection 
of  the  navigation  of  the  Mississippi  River.  The  gar 
rison  consisted  of  a  regiment  of  colored  infantry  and 
a  detachment  of  Tennessee  cavalry.  The  troops  fought 
bravely,  but  were  overpowered."  * 

*  Personal  Memoirs  of  U.  S.  Grant,  vol.  ii,  pp.  129,  137,  138. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

CAPTURE    OF    FORT    PILLOW. 

FORT  PILLOW,  a  point  on  the  east  side  of  the  Mis 
sissippi  River,  about  forty  miles  on  an  air-line  above 
Memphis,  once  strongly  fortified  by  the  Confederates, 
was  now  occupied  by  a  small  Federal  force  with  no  ap 
parent  object  in  view  except  to  maintain  a  trading-post 
for  the  benefit  of  speculators  and  people  of  the  interior 
claiming  to  be  loyal.  General  Sherman  afterward  said 
the  fort  was  not  on  his  list,  and  he  did  not  know  it  was 
even  occupied.  The  outer  lines  of  the  place,  some  two 
miles  long,  as  well  as  the  river  front,  had  been  in 
tended  by  General  Beauregard's  engineers,  who  laid 
it  off  in  March  and  April,  1862,  under  direction  of  Gen 
eral  Pillow,  for  defense  on  a  large  scale.  After  it  was 
abandoned  by  the  Confederates  it  was  never  occupied 
by  the  Federals  with  any  considerable  forcer-  The 
water  batteries,  dismantled,  were  not  refurnished.  The 
fort  on  the  river  front  could  be  approached  to  within 
one  hundred  or  two  hundred  yards  through  ravines 
and  gullies  on  the  east  and  south  sides  without  great 
exposure,  and  the  artillery  on  the  heavy  breastworks 
could  not  be  depressed  so  as  to  play  on  troops  once 
in  such  postitions-.  It  was  reported  to  Forrest  that 
raids  were  frequently  made  from  Fort  Pillow  by  small 
detachments  of  both  negro  and  white  troops  upon  the 
people  of  several  counties  for  the  purpose  of  foraging, 
and  that  defenseless  women  and  children  and  old  men 
were  subject  to  robbery,  insult,  and  greatest  humilia- 
214 


CAPTURE   OF   FORT   PILLOW.  215 

tions.  An  earnest  request  was  made  that  he  would 
leave  a  brigade  as  a,  protection  against  marauders. 
This  was  impossible,  but  the  general,  having  nothing 
else  on  hand  requiring  immediate  attention,  resolved  to 
at  once  relieve  the  people  as  well  as  secure  the  needed 
horses  and  supplies  known  to  be  in  the  place. 

The  post  was  commanded  by  Major  L.  F.  Booth,* 
who  haH  been  sent  up  from  Memphis  by  General  Hurl- 
but,  March  28th,  with  a  negro  battalion,  the  First  Ala 
bama  Light  Artillery.  Next  in  command  was  Major 
William  F.  Bradford,  of  the  Thirteenth  Tennessee  Cav 
alry,  and  there  was  a  company  of  negro  troops  and  a 
few  stragglers  from  other  commands. J-  Many  of  Brad 
ford's  men,  it  was  understood,  were  deserters  from  the 
Confederate  army,  who  had  no  great  relish  for  righting 
on  either  side.  The  major  was  a  native  of  Middle  Ten 
nessee,  of  good  family  connections,  and  was  a  prac 
tising  lawyer  at  Dyersburg,  West  Tennessee,  when  the 
war  began.  His  kindred  were  nearly  all  on  the  South 
ern  side,  and  he  was  looked  upon  as  one  who  had  be 
trayed  his  family  to  join  their  enemies  and  former 
slaves  in  a  war  of  invasion  and  conquest.  Such  was 
the  feeling  that  existed  when  the  strife  of  a  divided 
people  was  at  its  height. 

General  Hurlbut,  in  his  order  to  Major  Booth, 
March  28th,  directing  him  to  proceed  to  Fort  Pillow, 
said :  "  As  you  will  be,  if  my  memory  is  correct,  the 
senior  officer  of  that  post,  you  will  take  command,  con 
ferring  freely  and  fully  with  Major  Bradford,  Thir 
teenth  Tennessee  Cavalry,  whom  you  will  find  a  good 
officer,  though  not  of  much  experience.  There  are  two 
points  of  land  fortified  at  Fort  Pillow,  one  of  which 
only  is  now  held  by  our  troops.  You  will  occupy  both, 
either  with  your  own  troops  alone,  or  holding  one  with 

*  Rebellion  Records,  ^ol.  xxxii,  part  i,  pp.  608,  609. 
15 


2 16  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

yours  alone  and  giving  the  other  in  charge  to  Major 
Bradford. 

"  The  positions  are  commanding,  and-can  be  held 
by  a  small  force  against  almost  any  odds.  I  shall  send 
you  at  this  time  two  13-pounder  howitzers,  as  J  hope  it 
will  not  be  necessary  to  mount  heavy  guns.  If,  in  your 
opinion,  2opounder  Parrotts  can  be  used,  I  will  send 
them  to  you.  My  own  opinion  is  that  there  is  not  range 
enough.  Major  Bradford  is  well  acquainted  with  the 
country,  and  should  keep  scouts  well  out,  and  forward 
all  information  direct  to  me.  I  think  Forrest's  check 
at  Paducah  will  not  dispose  him  to  try  the  river  again, 
but  that  he  will  fall  back  to  Jackson,  and  thence  cross 
the  Tennessee.  As  soon  as  this  is  ascertained,  I  shall 
withdraw  your  garrison.  Nevertheless,  act  promptly 
in  putting  the  work  in  perfect  order,  and  the  post  into 
its  strongest  defense.  Allow  as  little  intercourse  as 
possible  with  the  country,  and  cause  all. supplies  which 
go  out  to  be  examined  with  great  strictness.  No  man 
whose  loyalty  is  questioned  should  .be  allowed  to  come 
in  or  go  out  while  the  enemy  is  in  West  Tennessee. 
The  post  must  be  held."* 

Brigadier-General  James  R.  Chalmers  was  placed 
in  charge  of  the  move  on  Fort  Pillow.  The  First  Bri 
gade,  Colonel  J.  J.  Ne'ely,  marched  from  Whiteville 
in  the  direction  of  Memphis,  spreading  the  report  that 
Forrest's  whole  command  was  on  the  way  to  attack  the 
place,  and  Neely  made  a  resolute  show  of  building 
pontoon,  bridges  and  crossing  Wolf  River  almost  in 
sight  of  Memphis.  Colonel  John  McGuirk,  with  the 
Third  Mississippi  State  Cavalry,  advanced  at  the  same 
time  on  the  south  side  of  Memphis,  drove  in  the  pickets, 
and  gave  it  out  that  General  S.  D.  Lee  was  close  at 
hand  with  all  his  troops  to  take  part  in  a  combined 

*  Rebellion  Records,  Serial  59,  vol.  xxxii,  part  ill,  p.  176. 


CAPTURE   OF   FORT   PILLOW.  2 1/ 

attack.    General  Hurlbut  had  reason  to  apprehend  dan 
ger  in  his  immediate  front. 

On  the  loth  of  April,  the  way  being  clear  and  every 
thing  ready,  General  Forrest  issued  orders  for  Bell  s 
and  McCulloch's  brigades,  and  Walton's  battery  of 
four  small  mountain  howitzers  at  Sharons  Ferry,  on 
Forked  Deer  River,  near  Jackson,  to  move  in  the  direc 
tion  of  Fort  Pillow.  This  force  left  on  the  morning 
of  the  nth,  and  was  overtaken  by  General  Forrest  at 
2  P.  M.,  at  Brownsville,  twenty-eight  miles  distant. 
General  Chalmers  was  ordered  to  make  a  forced  march 
of -thirty-eight  miles  to  Fort  Pillow.  The  advance  wasj 
begun  at  once,  with  McCulloch's  brigade  in  the  lead. 
A  citizen  of  Southern  sympathies,  named  W.  J.  Shaw, 
who  had  been  arrested  by  Major  Bradford  and  held 
in  the  fort  until  he  escaped,  was  secured  as  a  guide. 
The  night  was  drizzly  and  murky,  and  there  were 
rough  roads,  and  weak  bridges  to  pass  over,  but  good 
progress  was  made  by  men  accustomed  to  hard  riding. 
Walton's  howitzers,  however,  fell  behind  and  never 
reached  Fort  Pillow.  Just  as  day  dawned,  the  advance- 
guard,  Captain  J.  Frank  Smith's  company  of  the  Sec 
ond  Missouri,  surprised  and  captured  all  the  Federal 
pickets,  except  one  or  two  who  escaped  and  at  sunrise 
gave  the  alarm  to  the  garrison.  There  were  no  sharp 
shooters  to  speak  of, within,  but  Chalmers's  command 
was  well  supplied,  and  these,  at  a  safe  distance  behind 
trees  and  logs,  or  in  gullies,  could  do  effective  work 
on  all  who  arose  up  to  fire  over  the  works.  As  Major 
Anderson,  of  General  Forrest's  staff,  afterward  said, 
in  a  special  report  :*  "  Any  one  could  see  at  a  glance 
that  the  fort  was  ours."  There  were  four  rows  of 
cabins,  and  some  tents  and  troops  on  the  outside  on  a 
ridge,  and  from  these  a  rifle-pit  stretched  to  the  right, 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxii,  part  i,  p.  556.    * 


2l8  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

or  northeast,  some  three  hundred  yards.  The  fort 
proper,  or  inner  line  of  defense,  was  six  feet  high  and 
eight  feet  thick,  with  a  ditch  outside  six  feet  deep  and 
about  twelve  feet  wide.  The  artillery  equipment  con 
sisted  of  two  lo-pounder  Parrott  rifled  guns,  two  12- 
pounder  howitzers,  and  two  6-pounder  rifle-bore  field- 
pieces,  each  piece  having  an  embrasure.  The  garrison 
consisted  of  the  First  Battalion  Thirteenth  Tennessee 
Cavalry,  under  Major  William  F.  Bradford,  ten  officers 
and  two  hundred  and  eighty-five  enlisted  men ;  First 
Battalion  Sixth  U.  S.  Heavy  Artillery  (colored),  eight 
commissioned  officers  and  two  hundred  and  thirteen 
enlisted  men,  and  one  section  of  Company  D,  Second 
U.  S.  Light  Artillery  (colored),  one  commissioned  offi 
cer  and  forty  men.  Total  white  troops,  two  hundred 
and  ninety-five ;  colored,  two  hundred  and  sixty-two ; 
aggregate,  five  hundred  and  fifty-seven,*  all  under  com 
mand  of  Major  Booth. 

After  the  capture  of  the  pickets,  McCulloch's  bri 
gade  rapidly  took  a  position  half  a  mile  to  the  south  of 
the  fort,  near  the  river ;  Bell's  brigade  was  ordered  up 
toward  the  center ;  Wilson's  regiment  was  deployed 
in  front,  and  engaged  the  garrison  in  a  heavy  skirmish. 
The  rest  of  the  brigade  was  t*o  take  a  position  along 
Coal  Creek,  near  the  river,  on  the  right,  but  this  could 
not  be  reached  without  unnecessary  exposure,  and  the 
plan  was  changed.  At  nine  o'clock,  General  Forrest, 
after  a  ride  of  sixty-four  miles  since  six  o'clock  the 
morning  before,  accompanied  by  his  staff,  escort,  and 
a  detachment  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  D.  M.  Wis-, 
dom,  came  upon  the  ground.  It  was  learned  afterward 
that  Major  Booth,  commanding  the  fort,  and  his  ad 
jutant  were  killed  about  that  time,  though  the  major's 
name  was  used  in  the  correspondence  that  ensued.  The 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxii,  part  i,  p.  556. 


CAPTURE   OF   FORT   PILLOW.  219 

general,  as  usual,  pushed  to  the  front  to  reconnoiter, 
and  in  doing  so  had  two  horses  killed  under  him  and 
another  wounded.  He  also  received  a  painful  injury 
himself  from  a  falling  horse.  After  examining  the 
ground  carefully  and  adopting  a  plan,  he  gave  orders 
to  Bell's  brigade  to  move  up  by  way  of  a  ravine  leading 
near  to  the  face  of  the  fort.  This  was  soon  done,  and 
thejnen  occupied  more  sheltered  positions.  McCulloch 
carried  the  entrenchments  on  the  highest  point  of  the 
ridge  in  front  of  the  southeastern  face  of  the  works. 
The  Federals  were  driven  in,  and  fell  back  to  the 
main  fort  and  the  earthworks  in  its  front.  They  made 
an  attempt  to  burn  the  cabins  mentioned  before,  but 
only  succeeded  in  burning  one  row.  McCulloch  seized 
the  others,  and  occupied  them  advantageously  with 
his  sharpshooters.  Adjutant  Mack  J.  Learning,  of  the 
Thirteenth  Tennessee  Union  Cavalry,  in  his  report, 
says :  "  We  suffered  pretty  severely  in  the  loss  of  com 
missioned  officers  by  the  unerring  aim  of  the "  rebel 
sharpshooters,  and  among  this  loss  I  have  to  record 
our  post-commander,  Major  L.  F.  Booth,  who  was 
killed  almost  instantly  by  a  musket-ball  through  the 
breast.  ...  At  about  n  A.  M.  the  rebels  made  a 
second  determined  assault  on  our  works,  and  were 
again  successfully  repulsed  with  severe  loss.  They 
succeeded,  however,  in  getting  possession  of  two  rows 
of  barracks,  running  parallel  to  the  south  side  of  the 
fort,  and  distant  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards. 
The  barracks  had  previously  been  ordered  to  be  de 
stroyed,  but  after  severe  loss  on  our  part  in  the  attempt 
to  execute  the  order,  our  men  were  compelled  to  retire 
without  accomplishing  the  desired  end,  save  only  as 
to  the  row  nearest  to  the  fort.  From  these  barracks 
the  enemy  kept  up  a  murderous  fire  on  our  men  despite 
all  our  efforts  to  dislodge  him.  Owing  to  the  close 
proximity  of  these  buildings  to  the  fort,  and  to  the  fact 


220  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

that  they  were  on  considerably  lower  ground,  our  artil 
lery  could  not  be  sufficiently  depressed  to  destroy  them, 
or  even  render  them  untenable  for  the  enemy."  Up  to 
this  time  the  gunboat  New  Era,  well  back  in  the  river, 
had  been  shelling  the  Confederates  furiously  by  sig 
nals  from  the  fort,  but  without  doing  much  damage. 
The  guns  in  the  parapet  also  were  fired  rapidly  with 
similar  lack  of  effect. 

The  Confederate  line,  at  no  place  more  than  three 
hundred  yards  from  the  fort,  was  now  short  and  com 
pact,  and  held  a  well-protected  position  extending  from 
the  river  on  the  south  to  Coal  Creek  on  the  north. 
There  were  sharpshooters  in  front  of  them,  some  not 
more  than  sixty  yards  from  the  fort,  and  sharpshoot 
ers;  four  or  five  hundred  yards  in  the  rear  on  high 
knolls,  from  which  they  coul$  pick  off  those  who 
showed  themselves  on  the  parapet  or  behind  the  guns 
in  the  embrasures. 

Satisfied  now  that  he  could  carry  the  place  by 
assault,  but  desiring  to  save  the  lives. of  his  own  men 
as  well  as  the  garrison,  General  Forrest  caused  a  flag 
of  truce  to  be  raised  about  3  P.  M.,  when  all  firing- 
ceased.  Calling  Captain  Walter  A.  Goodman,  of  Gen 
eral  Chalmers's  staff,  he  dictated  a  demand  for  surren 
der,  as  follows :  "  As  your  gallant  defense  of  the  fort 
has  entitled  you  to  the  treatment  of  brave  men,  I  now 
demand  an  unconditional  surrender  of  your  force,  as 
suring  you  at  the  same  time  that  they  will  be  treated 
as  prisoners  of  war.  I  have  received  a  fresh  supply  of 
ammunition,  and  can  easily  take  your  position.  Should 
my  demand  be  refused,  I  can  not  be  responsible  for  the 
fate  of  your  command."  This  was  carried  by  Captain 
Goodman,  accompanied  by  Lieutenant  Frank  Rogers, 
a  volunteer  aide  on  General  Forrest's  staff,  and  W.  H. 
Rhodes,  acting  temporarily  on  the  staff.  Three  offi 
cers  came  out  to  receive  the  flag,  and  one  of  them  car- 


CAPTURE   OF   FORT   PILLOW.  221 

ried  it  into  the  fort.  In  about  twenty  minutes  a  reply 
was  brought  out  and  taken  to  General  Forrest.  After 
reading  it,  he  dictated  another  note,  and  handing  it  to 
Lieutenant  Rogers,  said :  "  You  can  tell  that  Federal 
officer  that  if  I  am  compelled  to  butt  my  men  against 
their  works  it  will  be  bad  for  them."  Lieutenant 
Rogers,  perhaps,  did  not  deliver  this  verbal  message, 
but  delivered  the  note  to  the  same  officers  as  before. 
One  of  them  went  into  the  fort.  The  other  two,  in 
conversation,  expressed  a  doubt  as  to  General  Forrest 
being  there  in  person,  and  referred  to  the  way  in  which 
Colonel  Hawkins  had  been  taken  in  at  Union  City  by 
Colonel  Duckworth,  of  the  Seventh  Tennessee,  a*  few 
days  before.  General  Forrest  was  sent  for,  and,  riding 
up,  addressed  the  officers,  satisfying  them  as  to  his 
identity,  and  rode  back  to  his  point  of  observation,  four 
hundred  yards  in  the  rear.  A  reply  was  soon  sent  out 
asking  for  one  hour's  time  to  consult  with  the  officers 
of  the  gunboats.  Other  boats  were  seen  approaching 
from  below  and  above,  two  of  them  at  least  loaded 
with'troops  presumably  to  relieve  the  garrison.  Gen 
eral  Forrest  demanded  a  surrender  in  twenty  minutes, 
which  was  pere'mptorily  refused.  Major  Bradford,  it 
may  be  remarked,  had  strong  personal  reasons  for 
dreading  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Confederates, 
and  was,  from  all  accounts,  a  weak,  vain  man  as  well 
as  without  military  experience,  and  no  doubt  thought 
he  could  hold  the  attacking  force  in  check  until  the 
arrival  of  relief  from  the  river.  The  Olive  Branch, 
with  troops  and  artillery  on  board,  coming  from  below 
suspiciously  near  the  shore  while  the  flag  of  truce  was 
still  flying,  was  warned  off  by  McCulloch's  men  under 
direction  of  Staff-Officer  C.  W.  Anderson,  and  kept  at 
a  safe  distance.  A  single  volley  would  have  resulted 
in  wholesale  slaughter  of  troops  and  citizens  crowding 
the  decks.  A  few  admonitory  shots  were  fired  at  the 


222  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

pilot-house,  which  caused  the  steamer  to  sheer  off  and 
pass  up  on  the  other  side.  Captain  Marshall,  of  the 
New  Era,  requested  the  Olive  Branch  to  proceed  to 
Cairo  as  soon  as  possible,  and  send  four  or  five  hundred 
rounds  of  ammunition  and  stop  all  boats  coming  down 
the  river.  All  this  occurred  while  the  flag  of  truce 
was  flying,  and  General  George  F.  Shepley,  on  board 
the  Olive  Branch,  was  excused  .afterward  for  not  ren 
dering  succor  to  the  fort  only  by  reason  of  his  inability 
to  do  so,  and  not  because  there  was  a  flag  of  truce 
pending.  General  Shepley,  in  his  report  of  his  trip 
up  the  river,  states  that  the  boat  was  heavily  loaded 
with  a  portion  of  the  men  of  two  batteries,  with  horses, 
guns,  caissons,  tents,  and  baggage  taken  on  at  Mem 
phis,  and  with  orders  to  report  to  General  Brayman 
at  Cairo.  The  steamer  Cheek  hove  in  sight  from 
Memphis,  just  below  Fort  Pillow,  and  was  brought 
alongside  the  Olive  Branch  about  the  same  time  that 
the  steamer  Liberty,  with  troops  on  board,  came  down 
the  river,  having  passed  Fort  Pillow.  She  only  hailed 
the  Olive  Branch,  and  said :  "  All  right  up  there.  You 
can  go  by.  The  gunboat  is  lying  off  the  fort."* 

General  Forrest,  having  his  command  well  in  hand, 
after  heavy  skirmishing  for  several  hours,  and  finding 
that  the  officers  within  were  determined  to  hold  out 
in  the  evident  hope  of  relief  from  the  boats  in  sight, 
resolved  to  take  the  place  by  assault,  even  at  the  hazard 
of  a  heavy  loss  of  life.  When  the  final  and  most  per 
emptory  refusal  of  all  came,  he  acted  at  once.  Turn 
ing  to  an  aide-de-camp,  according  to  W.  H.  Rhodes, 
who,  as  before  stated,  was  serving  on  Forrest's  staff 
that  day,  he  said :  "  Go  to  Colonel  Bell,  commanding 
on  our  right,  and  tell  him  when  he  hears  my  orderly 
bugler  sound  the  charge,  to  go  over  these  works  if  he 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxii,  part  i,  p.  573. 


CAPTURE   OF   FORT   PILLOW.  223 

gets  killed  and  every  man  in  his  command,  and  tell 
him  I  don't  want  to  hear  of  Tennessee  being  behind." 
Turning  to  another  aide,  he  said  :  "  You  go  to  Colo 
nel  McCulloch,  commanding  our  left,  and  tell  him  when 
he  hears  my  orderly  bugler  sound  the  charge,  to  go 
over  the  works  if  he  is  killed  and  every  man  in  his 
command,  and  tell  him  I  don't  want  to  hear  of  Mis 
souri  being  left  behind."  Waiting  until  the  officers 
had  time  to  reach  the  brigade  commanders,  he  turned 
to  Gaus,  his  ever-faithful  bugler,  and  said  :  "  Gaus,  ride 
your  horse  up  the  ravine  until  you  reach  about  the 
center  of  our  lines,  and  sound  the  charge."  Gaus  gal 
loped,  to  the  center,  and  promptly  gave  the  blast  which 
settled  the  fate  of  Fort  Pillow.  The  whole  line  was 
immediately  in  motion.  The  guns  of  the  fort  roared, 
and  the  infantry  fired  volley  after  volley.  The  parapet 
was  a  sheet  of  flame  and  smoke.  The  Confederates 
answered  with  a  yell  which  rose  above  the  din  of  battle, 
but  they  reserved  their  fire.  They  dashed  across  the 
twelve-foot  ditch  and  clambered  up  the  escarpment, 
the  leaders  helping  those  behind,  and  were  soon  pour 
ing  into  the  fort.  They  had  no  bayonets,  but  at  once 
opened  a  murderous  fire  on  the  now  thoroughly  de 
moralized  garrison.  The  colored  troops,  who  had  been 
most  defiant  while  the  flag  of  truce  was  flying,  were 
the  first  to  break  and  run  down  the  bluff,  and  num 
bers  of  them  plunged  into  the  river,  but  many  of  the 
white,  and  some  black  troops,  made  a  desperate  show 
of  resistance,  and  there  was  never  any  formal  surren 
der.  For  fifteen  minutes  the  slaughter  was  fearful. 
The  momentum  of  the  assaulting  force  was  so  great 
that  the  besieged  were  quickly  driven  under  the  bluff, 
where  the  survivors  were  captured.  How  many  rushed 
into  the  river  and  were  drowned  will  never  be  known. 
Those  thus  lost  were  praying  for  the  gunboat  that 
never  came.  The  New  Era  kept  at  a  safe  distance,  and 


224  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

was  silent.  General  Forrest,  and  members  of  his  staff, 
entered  the  fort  on  foot  while  the  firing  was  still 
furious.  The  garrison  was  practically  without  officers, 
while  drunken  soldiers  were  shooting  in  a  dazed  sort 
of  way  at  the  storming  party.  The  Confederates  had 
closed  in  from  the  flanks,  and  were  doing  murderous 
work.  The  flag  still  floated  defiantly  from  a  tall  pole 
in  the  center  of  the  square,  and  none  of  the  defenders 
thought  to  pull  it  down.  One  of  General  Forrest's 
staff-officers,  however,  suggested  that  the  halyards  be 
cut,  and  this  was  done.  The  Confederates,  who  could 
see  the  flag  from  all  points  of  attack,  took  this  as  a 
sign  of  surrender,  and  at  once  quit  firing.  Some  of  the 
survivors  ran  around  wildly  and  kept  up  a  show  of 
resistance  for  a  short  time,  but  were  shot  down  or  cap 
tured  and  disarmed.  It  is  the  concurrent  testimony 
of  Confederates  who  were  in  the  engagement  that  the 
slaughter  ceased  when  the  flag  fell,  but  of  course  there 
might  have  been  individual  exceptions.  That  the  as 
sailants  were  highly  wrought  up  after  an  all-night  ride 
and  an  all-day  fight,  and  by  the  insane  defense  of  a. 
fort  which  they  knew  they  could  take,  is  not  incon 
sistent  with  human  nature,  for  there  was  no  reasoning 
when  force  met  force  "  to  settle  the  differences  of  a  cen 
tury."  Another  aggravation  was  the  conduct  of  the 
besieged,  especially  the  negroes,  while  the  flag  of  truce 
was  flying  and  the  lines  were  close  together.  The  lat 
ter  were  very  defiant  and  insulting  in  language  and 
grimaces,  and,  no  doubt,  felt  safe  against  any  attack. 
The  officers,  after  they  saw  the  force  in  front  and 
knew  that  Forrest  was  really  on  the  ground,  should 
have  known  better.  Had  Major  Booth  survived  in 
stead  of  Major  Bradford,  the  fortunes  of  the  day  might 
have  been  different.  The  latter  fled  down  under  the 
bluff,  and  only  revealed  his  rank  after  he  was  cap 
tured  and  safe.  The  battle  lasted  not  over  twenty  min- 


CAPTURE   OF   FORT    PILLOW.  22$ 

utes,  but  twelve  or  fifteen  hundred  determined  men, 
firing  from  three  sides  into  a  struggling,  seething  mass 
of  human  beings,  could  play  havoc  in  that  short  time. 
It  was  a  terrific  slaughter,  and  yet  the  Confederates 
engaged  in  it — and  many  of  them  are  living  yet  (1902) 
— always  claimed  that  it  was  not  greater  than  the  cir 
cumstances  justified;  that  none  were  killed  after  they 
surrendered,  and  that  no  prisoners  were  killed  or  mis 
treated  in  or  out  of  the  fort  that  day  or  next  day. 

Major  Bradford  evidently  expected  to  be  rescued 
and  carried  off  with  his  troops  on  the  gunboat,  but  he 
escaped  from  the  storm  of  battle  unhurt.  Late  in  the 
day  he  was  temporarily  paroled  to  attend  the  funeral  of 
his  elder  brother,  Captain  Theodore  F.  Bradford,  and 
after  that  he  was  given  quarters  and  supper  with  Colo 
nel  McCulloch.  During  the  night  he  escaped,  assumed 
the  disguise  of  a  conscript  or  butternut  soldier,  and 
t sought  to  make  his  way  to  Memphis. 

When  the  battle  was  over,  Forrest's  men  and  sur 
geons  -gave  attention  to  the  wounded  on  both  sides. 
The  live-stock,  stores,  and  munitions  of  war,  as  far  as 
available,  were  hastily  removed  to  the  rear.  Captain 
Young,  of  the  Twenty-fourth  Infantry,  who  first  came 
out  to  meet  the  flag  of  truce,  was  among  the  prisoners, 
and  in  the  afternoon  he  was  sent  with  Major  Ander 
son,  of  Forrest's  staff,  with  a  flag  of  truce  to  endeavor 
to  communicate  with  the  captain  of  the  New  Era,  and 
turn  over  to  him  the  Federal  wounded.  This  was  a 
failure,  however,  for  the  vessel  steamed  off  up  the  river 
•without  giving  any  response. 

General  Forrest  turned  over  the  command  to  Brig 
adier-General  Chalmers,  with  instructions  to  bury  the 
dead,  collect  arms  and  other  portable  property,  trans 
fer  the  Federal  wounded  to  the  first  steamer  passing, 
and  to  follow  as  soon  as  possible  with  his  division  and 
the  unwounded  prisoners  to  Brownsville.  At  sunset, 


226  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

accompanied  by  his  staff  and  escort,  he  set  out  for 
Jackson,  and  encamped  that  night  at  a  farmhouse  seven 
miles  eastward.  General  Chalmers  caused  the  prison 
ers  to  bury  the  Federal  dead  in  the  trenches,  the  officers 
separately  from  their  men,  moved  his  troops  back  from 
the  river,  and  went  into  camp  that  evening.  The  next 
morning  a  detail  was  sent  into  the  fort  to  bury  any  of 
the  dead  overlooked  and  collect  the  remaining  arms. 
In  a  short  time  the  gunboat  Silver  Cloud  came  up  and 
opened  fire.  The  officer  in  command  of  the  detail,  ex 
pecting  to  leave,  set  fire  to  some  tents  and  cabins  in 
which  were  the  bodies  of  a  few  negroes  killed  the 
previous  day,  giving  rise  to  the  report  that  they  had 
been  burned  alive.' 

After  General  Forrest  and  his  staff  had  mounted 
their  horses,  on  the  morning  of  the  I3th,  they  heard 
the  firing  at  the  fort,  and  he  sent  back  Major  Ander 
son,  with  Captain  Young,  the  late  provost  marshal  of 
Fort  Pillow,  to  make  an  effort  to  have  the  Federal 
wounded  turned  over  to  their  friends.  Major  Ander 
son  withdrew  the  detail  from  the  fort,  hoisted  a  white 
flag,  and  arranged  with  the  master  of  the  Silver  Cloud 
for  a  truce  until  5  P.  M.  Several  other  vessels  stopped 
at  the  landing,  and  many  Federals  came  ashore.  Dur 
ing  the  day  the  remaining  dead  were  buried,  and  the 
wounded,  about  seventy  officers  and  men,  were  re 
moved  to  the  steamer  Platte  Valley.  Of  these,  the 
Federal  surgeon  of  the  hospital  at  Mound  City,  111., 
testified  that  he  received  thirty-four  whites  and  twenty- 
seven  colored  men ;  some  died  on  the  way.  General 
Chalmers  carried  off  as  prisoners  of  war  seven  officers 
and  two  hundred  and  nineteen  enlisted  men  (thirty-six 
negroes  and  one  hundred  and  sixty-three  whites)  un- 
wounded.  This  would  make  an  aggregate  of  about 
two  hundred  and  ninety-six  who  survived  the  battle, 
including  the  mortally  wounded,  but  does  not  include 


CAPTURE   OF  FORT   PILLOW.  227 

the  unknown   camp-followers   and   refugees   who   be 
longed  to  no  command  and  appeared  upon  no  list. 

One  phase  of  the  reckless  and  insane  defense  of 
Fort  Pillow  is  worthy  of  mention  as  throwing  some 
light  upon  the  state  of  affairs  within.  After  the  place 
was  taken,  it  was  learned  that  the  troops  had  been 
liberally  dosed  with  liquor  during  the  eight  hours'  in 
vestment.  Many  of  the  prisoners  were  in  a  muddled 
condition,  equally  crazed  by  fright  and  intoxication. 
I  Colonel  C.  R.  Barteau,  of  the  Second  Tennessee,  Bell's 
ongade,  who  lived  to  practise  law  in  Memphis  many 
years,  stated  that  numerous  barrels  of  whisky  and  kegs 
of  beer,  partly  emptied,  were  found  placed  at  con 
venient  distances  apart,  with  tin  dippers  attached  for 
the  use  of  the  Federal  soldiersj  Many  others  give  the 
same  testimony.  The  negroes  especially  had  made  free 
use  of  the  opportunity,  and  this  accounts  in  part  for 
their  conduct  while  the  flag  of  truce  was  flying.  When 
General  Forrest  rode  up  to  the  front  to  satisfy  the  offi 
cers  that  he  was  actually  present,  the  demonstrations 
of  the  negroes  were  such  that  members  of  his  staff 
urged  him  to  withdraw,  which  he  did  as  soon  as  the 
purpose  of  his  visit  was  accomplished.  (These  igno 
rant,  half-drunken  creatures  were  about  as  likely  to 
shoot  Forrest,  whom  many  of  them  recognized  by 
sight,  there  under  the  flag  of  truce  as  at  any  other  time 
and  place.  ; 

The  capture  of  Fort  Pillow  was.  not  a  great  military 
exploit  except  by  reason  of  the  audacity  and  bold  dash 
of  the  movement.  Forrest  went  there  with  men  enough, 
and  accomplished  his  purpose,  though  suffering  greater 
losses  than  he  expected  in  killed  and  wounded.  Had 
a  massacre  been  intended,  it  could  have  been  accom 
plished  by  a  word  from  Forrest.  The  fort  was  well 
though  injudiciously  defended.  Much  testimony  was 
taken  and  sworn  to  afterward,  which  was  calcu- 


228  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    FORREST. 

lated  to  inflame  the  Northern  mind  and  convince  the 
civilized  world  that  the  Confederates  were  inhuman 
butchers  unmindful  of  the  rules  of  civilized  warfare. 
A  few  of  the  deponents  were  white  officers,  but  the 
great  mass  of  affidavits  came  from  ignorant  negroes 
who  could  scarcely  make  their  mark.  All  this  was 
necessarily  of  an  ex-parte  nature,  but  it  had  its  in 
tended  effect,  and  was  not  seriously  questioned  at  the 
time.  But  above  all  discussion,  criticism,  and  confusion 
of  ideas,  the  one  fact  stands  out  clearly  that  while  Gen 
eral  Forrest  needed  the  horses  and  stores  in  the  fort, 
the  main  object  of  the  raid  Avas  to  "  break  up  that 
nest,"  and  relieve  the  people  of  several  counties  from 
the  frequent  depredations  coming  from  that  quarter. 

The  charge  was  made,  in  connection  with  others, 
that  Forrest  was  accountable  for  the  death  of  Major 
Bradford,  which  occurred  about  two  days  after  he  was 
captured.  The  answer  to  this  was  that  Bradford  was 
picked  up  on  suspicion  by  some  Confederates  at  Big 
Hatchie  River,  a  few  miles  north  of  Covington,  taken 
into  the  town,  and  there  recognized  by  the  citizens, 
sent  across  the  country  toward  Brownsville,  and  turned 
over  to  the  rear-guard  of  Forrest's  retreating  column. 
The  general  was  far  in  the  front,  and  Chalmers  was 
also  ahead.  Bradford  was  placed  in  charge  of  five 
men,  who  reported,  when  they  came  up  with  the  main 
command,  that  he  attempted  to  escape  and  was  killed. 
A  conscript,  who  afterward  escaped,  made  affidavit  that 
he  saw  the  shooting,  and  that  Bradford  was  on  his 
knees  begging  for  his  life.  Forrest  claimed  that  he 
did  not  hear  of  Bradford's  death  until  eight  or  ten  days 
afterward.  There  was  some  correspondence  in  regard 
to  the  matter,  but  General  Forrest,  who  was  very  busy 
getting  south  just  then,  disclaimed  any  sanction  of 
this  or  any  other  deed  not  justified  by  the  rules  of  war. 
General  M.  Brayman  made  a  report  directly  to  the 


CAPTURE  OF   FORT    PILLOW.  229 

Secretary  of  War  from  Cairo,  111.,  April  28,  1864,  six 
teen  days  after  the  fall  of  Fort  Pillow,  in  which  he 
said :  "  Recognizing  the  exigency  of  the  case,  I  prefer 
to  transmit  such  testimony  as  could  be  obtained  in  the 
shortest  time,  and  will  add  such,  as  can  be  hereafter 
procured.  You  will,  however,  find  sufficient  in  these 
papers  to  enforce  absolute  conviction  upon  all  minds 
that  violations  of  the  laws  and  usages  of  civilized  war, 
and  of  those  obligations  of  common  humanity  which 
even  barbarians  and  heathen  tribes  in  some  sort  ob 
serve,  have  been  perpetrated. 

"  Men  and  women  who  passed  through  the  excite 
ments  of  the  battle,  as  well  as  the  horrors  of  an  indis 
criminate  massacre  which  raged  not  only  when  the 
blood  was  hot  and  the  judgment  clouded  by  conflict, 
but  which  reached  into  the  quiet  of  the  following  day, 
most  of  them  mutilated,  hacked,  and  torn,  and  some, 
while  dying,  have  patiently,  calmly,  and  even  with  a 
forgiving  spirit,  told  their  pitiful  story.  It  may  be 
added  that  these  murders  came  not  of  sudden  heat  con 
sequent  upon  battle,  and  perpetrated  by  soldiers  where 
their  officers  could  not  control  them.  The  purpose  to 
do  this  very  thing  was  avowed  by  rebel  officers  in 
command.  At  Paducah  threats  of  indiscriminate  mur 
der  were  made ;  at  Columbus,  the  slaughter  of  all  col 
ored  soldiers  was  threatened  in  official  papers,  signed 
by  the  generals,  which  are  in  our  possession.  Verbal 
threats  of  the  same  character  will,  in  due  time,  be 
proved.  The  fate  intended  for  Paducah  and  Colum 
bus  fell  only  on  Fort  Pillow,"  etc.*  This  was  followed 
by  a  flood  of  affidavits  prepared  and  signed  at  Cairo, 
Fort  Pickering,  Memphis,  and  other  places.  Much  of 
this  was  conflicting  and  extravagant,  but  was  accepted 
as  if  sifted  through  the  processes  of  the  courts  in  times 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxii,  part  i,  pp.  518,  519. 


230  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

of  peace.  General  Washburn,  with  headquarters  at 
Memphis,  and  General  Forrest  had  a  spirited  corre 
spondence.  The  former  charged  that  the  captured 
troops  had  been  inhumanly  butchered.  The  latter  de 
nied  this  with  customary  vigor  of  language,  and  re 
ferred  to  a  report  that  colored  troops  in  Memphis  had 
on  bended  knees  sworn  to  remember  Fort  Pillow  and 
show  no  quarter  to  Confederate  prisoners.  General 
Washburn  did  not  deny  this  or  assume  the  respon 
sibility,  but  rather  justified  such  action  if  it  had  been 
taken.*  There  was  not  much  time  in  the  rapid  whirl 
of  events  for  formal  or  diplomatic  communications, 
and  a  few  sharp  tilts  ended  the  mere  letter-writing. 
General  Hurlbut  had  remained  in  Memphis  until  suc 
ceeded  by  General  Washburn,  and  General  Forrest  was 
soon  on  another  move. 

On  the  6th  of  May,  1864,  it  was  resolved  by  the 
Confederate  Congress  at  Richmond  that :  "  The  thanks 
of  the  Congress  are  eminently  due  and  are  hereby  cor 
dially  tendered  to  Major-General  N.  B.  Forrest  and 
the  officers  and  men  of  his  command,  for  their  late  bril 
liant  and  successful  campaign  in  Mississippi,  West 
Tennessee,  and  Kentucky ;  a  campaign  which  has  con 
ferred  upon  its  authors  fame  as  enduring  as  the  record 
of  the  struggle  which  they  have  so  brilliantly  illus 
trated." 

On  the  1 8th  of  the  month  a  subcommittee  of  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States  was  appointed  to  take 
testimony  in  regard  to  the  "  massacre  "  at  Fort  Pillow, 
and  made  a  most  damaging  and  condemnatory  report, 
charging  an  indiscriminate  slaughter  after  the  fort  had 
been  taken  by  storm,  which  spared  neither  sex,  white 
nor  black,  soldier  nor  civilian  ;  that  the  wounded  were 
intentionally  burned  to  death  in  the  barracks  and  tents 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxii,  part  i,  pp.  587,  588. 


CAPTURE   OF   FORT   PILLOW.  231 

which  were  destroyed  by  fire,  and  that  the  rebels  buried 
some  of  the  living  with  the  dead.  All  of  which  was 
vigorously  denied  by  Forrest  and  his  men  long  after 
the  war  closed,  when  excitement  had  subsided  and 
cooler  judgment  prevailed.  Forrest,  at  that  period  of 
the  war,  still  regarded  negroes  as  property,  and  favored 
the  policy  of  capturing  as  many  as  possible  and  restor 
ing  them  to  their  owners,  or  turning  them  over  to  the 
Confederate  Government  to  be  employed  in  the  con 
struction  of  fortifications  or  other  public  works.  It 
may  be  further  said,  in  justice  to  General  Forrest,  that 
this  was  the  only  time  he  was  ever  charged  with  cruelty 
to  prisoners  or  inhuman  conduct,  although  many  thou 
sands  of  Union  officers  and  soldiers  fell  into  his  hands. 

A  heavy  Federal  force  had  gone  up  the  river,  but 
the  country  was  not  depleted.  General  Sherman,  on 
the  24th  of  April,  wrote  from  Nashville,  under  the 
head  of  "  Confidential,"  to  General  C.  C.  Washburn, 
commanding  district  of  Memphis :  "  There  should  be 
at  Memphis  Buckland's  brigade  entire,  two  thousand ; 
three  white  regiments  (One  Hundred  and  Third  Illi 
nois  one),  fifteen  hundred;  Kaffner's  negro  regiment, 
Fort  Pickering,  twelve  hundred ;  Chetlain's  Black  Bri 
gade,  two  thousand ;  Grierson's  division  of  cavalry,  at 
least  four  thousand ;  total,  ten  thousand  seven  hun 
dred.  .  .  .  My  opinion  is,  by  a  close  examination  you 
will  find  at  Memphis  fully  seven  thousand  good 
men,  besides  the  Fort  Pickering  garrison  and  the  mili 
tia.  .  .  .  When  I  left  Memphis,  Grierson  had  fully 
five  thousand  horses.  Not  one  of  them  has  been  drawn 
away,  and  I  want  to  know  what  has  become  of  them."* 

That  General  Sherman  thought  well  of  some  of 
Forrest's  methods  was  indicated  in  a  despatch  to  Gen 
eral  M.  C.  Meigs,  quartermaster-general  at  Washing- 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxii,  part  iii,  pp.  485,  486. 
16 


232  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

ton,  dated  Nashville,  April  26th,  in  which  he  said : 
"  It  is  now  going  to  be  a  grand  scramble  who  is  going 
to  get  the  horses,  Forrest  or  ourselves.  I  think  For 
rest  can  beat  us  in  the  horse-stealing  business,  but  we 
must  learn.  As  I  advance  into  Georgia,  Forrest  will 
surely  manage  somehow  to  gather  the  horses  in  Ken 
tucky  and  Tennessee,  and  if  we  could  make  up  our 
minds  to  it,  we  might  take  them  first.  .  .  .  By  our 
returns  we  have  fifty-two  thousand  cavalry,  but  if  I 
can  get  up  three  divisions  of  five  thousand  each,  I  will 
deem  myself  lucky."*  This  condition  of  affairs  ac 
counts  for  General  Sherman's  tacit  willingness  for 
Forrest  to  operate  in  West  Tennessee  and  Kentucky 
rather  than  on  the  lines  between  Nashville  and  Chat 
tanooga,  or  farther  south.  In  fact,  he  intimated  more 
than  once  that  he  had  no  objection  to  Forrest  amusing 
himself  in  that  part  of  the  country.  It  had  been  deemed 
advisable  to  give  up  such  interior  places  as  Hickman 
and  Union  City,  but  to  hold  Cairo,  Columbus,  Mem 
phis,  Vicksburg,  and  Natchez  at  all  hazards,  to  pro 
tect  the  river.  Fort  Pillow  seems  to  have  been  hardly 
considered  in  the  general  plans. 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxii,  part  iii,  pp.  503,  504. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
BRICE'S  CROSSROADS. 

GENERAL  FORREST  established  his  headquarters  at 
Jackson  on  the  I4th  of  April,  and  remained  there  until 
the  2d  of  May,  directing  the  collection  of  absentees 
and  conscripts,  horses,  and  such  supplies  as  could  be 
sent  south.  Brigadier-General  Buford,  by  the  28th  of 
April,  assembled  his  division  and  Bell's  brigade  at 
Jackson.  On  the  2d  of  May  he  was  ordered,  with 
Neely's  brigade,  to  convoy  three  hundred  prisoners  and 
a  large  ox-train,  freighted  with  subsistence,  liquors, 
leather,  etc.,  to  Tupelo,  Miss.  The  Kentucky  brigade, 
which  entered  the  campaign  one  thousand  and  four 
strong,  had  increased  to  seventeen  hundred  and  seven 
teen  effective  men,  and  Bell's  brigade,  which  started 
with  a  total  of  twelve  hundred  and  fifty-four,  now  num 
bered  over  seventeen  hundred  men,  and  all  were  well 
rested  and  mounted.  Buford  made  the  distance,  sev 
enty-eight  miles  from  Jackson  to  Rienzi,  by  the  4th  of 
May,  transferred  his  prisoners  and  supplies  to  the  Mo 
bile  and  Ohio  Railroad,  and  reached  Tupelo  on  the 
6th.  Meanwhile  Chalmers  had  passed  through  Browns 
ville,  Somerville,  and  La  Grange  with  the  Fort  Pillow 
prisoners,  destined  for  points  farther  south.  These 
being  transferred,  he  established  headquarters  at  Ox 
ford  until  the  2d  of  May,  and  then  moved  toward 
Tupelo.  Various  movements  and  dispositions  of  com 
mands  were  made.  McCulloch  resumed  his  old  post 
temporarily  behind  the  Tallahatchie  River,  near  Pa- 

233 


234  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

nola,  while  Bell's  and  Neely's  brigades  reentered  West 
Tennessee  to  look  after  absentees,  and  to  give  officers 
and  men  an  opportunity  to  visit  their  families  and  pro 
cure  clothing  and  fresh  horses. 

On  the  2d  of  May  General  Forrest  left  Jackson 
with  his  staff  and  escort  for  Tupelo,  taking  the  road 
through  Bolivar,  Tenn.,  and  Ripley,  Miss.  Near  the 
former  place,  that  afternoon,  he  learned  that  a  Federal 
cavalry  force,  supposed  to  be  two  thousand  strong, 
under  General  Sturgis,  was  engaged  near  by  in  a  skir 
mish  with  a  part  of  McDonald's  battalion  under  Lieu 
tenant-Colonel  J.  M.  Crews,  and  pressed  quickly  to 
the  scene,  two  miles  west  of  Bolivar,  and  joined  in  the 
fighting.  His  small  force  and  Crews's  men,  altogether 
about  three  hundred  strong,  were  pressed  back  within 
some  works  west  of  the  town,  where  a  stand  was  made 
to  cover  the  retreat  of  Forrest's  headquarters  train, 
some  ambulances,  and  several  hundred  unarmed  men. 
A  sharp  fight  continued  some  two  hours.  The  Federal 
loss  was  reported  by  General  Sturgis  at  two  killed  and 
ten  wounded.  Major  Strange,  of  Forrest's  staff,  had 
his  arm  broken  by  a  carbine-ball.  Near  night,  Forrest 
fell  back,  and  overtook  his  train  five  miles  from  Boli 
var,  and  proceeded  without  further  incident  to  Tupelo, 
reaching  there  on  the  5th  of  May,  one  day  ahead  of 
Buford. 

General  Sturgis  kept  up  the  pursuit  as  far  as  Rip- 
ley,  but  upon  reaching  that  place  on  the  6th,  found 
that  Forrest's  rear-guard  had  passed  nearly  two  days 
before.  In  a  report  to  General  Washburn,  made  at 
Salem,  Miss.,  on  the  7th,  he  said :  "  It  was  at  Ripley 
that  I  had  hoped  against  hope  to  intercept  him ;  but  he 
was  abundantly  supplied  with  forage,  and  enabled  to 
travel  day  and  night.  Still  I  should  have  continued  the 
pursuit  had  it  not  been  for  the  utter  destitution  of  the 
country  from  Bolivar  to  Ripley,  a  distance  of  forty 


BRICK'S   CROSSROADS.  235 

miles.  My  horses  had  scarcely  anything  to  eat,  and 
my  artillery  horses  absolutely  nothing.  Had  I  pene 
trated  one  day's  march  farther,  and  found  the  forage 
equally  scarce,  I  should  have  not  only  failed  to  over 
take  Forrest,  but  have  been  compelled  to  abandon  my 
artillery  and  a  great  many  cavalry  horses.  I  need 
hardly  assure  you  that  it  was  with  greatest  reluctance, 
and  after  mature  deliberation  with  myself  and  my  prin 
cipal  officers,  that  I  resolved  to  abandon  the  chase  as 
hopeless.  Though  we  could  not  catch  the  scoundrel, 
we  are  at  least  rid  of  him,  and  that  is  something." 
Writing  to  General  Sherman  from  Memphis,  May 
1 3th,  he  said:  "  My  little  campaign  is  over,  and  I  re 
gret  to  say  Forrest  is  still  at  large.  ...  I  regret 
very  much  that  I  could  not  have  the  pleasure  of  bring 
ing  you  a  lock  of  his  hair,  but  he  is  too  great  a  plun 
derer  to  fight  anything  like  an  equal  force,  and  we 
have  to  be  satisfied  with  driving  him  from  the  State. 
He  may  turn  on  your  communications,  and  I  think  he 
will,  but  see  no  way  to  prevent  it  from  this  point  with 
this  force."* 

Forrest  found  Gholson's  brigade  of  Mississippi 
State  Cavalry  at  Tupelo,  and  a  few  days  later  this 
force  was  transferred  to  the  Confederate  States'  serv 
ice.  Chalmers  also  soon  reported,  and  some  time  was 
taken  for  reorganization.  The  four  batteries  of  four 
guns  each,  under  Captains  Morton,  Rice,  Thrall,  and 
Walton  were  formed  into  a  battalion  under  Captain 
John  W.  Morton  as  chief  of  artillery.  Chalmers's 
division  was  composed  of  McCulloch's,  Neely's,  and 
Rucker's  brigades,  and  Buford's  division  of  Bell's  and 
Lyon's  brigades,  altogether  twenty  regiments,  four  bat 
talions,  five  independent  companies,  and  sixteen  guns. 
This  force  was  distributed  at  different  points  cohsider- 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxii,  part  i,  p.  698. 


236  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

able  distances  apart,  in  order  to  more  easily  secure  sub 
sistence  and  forage,  as  well  as  to  be  ready  for  attack 
in  any  direction.  Every  detail  of  interior  administra 
tion  was  directed  by  an  active  and  vigorous  mind. 

Buford's  division  made  a  reconnaissance  from  Tu 
pelo  to  Corinth  from  the  i6th  to  the  24th  of  the  month, 
and  about  the  26th,  Chalmers  was  detached  with 
McCulloch's  and  Neely's  brigades  and  Walton's  bat 
tery,  and  sent  on  an  expedition  to  the  interior  of  Ala 
bama,  going  as  far  as  Montevallo,  forty  miles  eastward 
of  Tuscaloosa,  to  meet  a  supposed  raid  coming  from 
Huntsville  and  Decatur  to  destroy  some  iron-works. 
A  part  of  this  division  remained  in  that  region  some 
weeks.  On  the  loth  of  June,  McCulloch's  brigade  was 
ordered  by  Major-General  Lee  to  return  by  forced 
marches  to  Columbus,  Miss.  Neely's  brigade  was  at 
that  time  at  Blue  Mountain,  Ala.,  near  the  Georgia 
line,  and  Rucker  was  falling  back  from  Oxford.  Gen 
eral  Roddey  was,  in  the  latter  part  of  May,  near  Deca 
tur,  Ala.,  and  reported  to  be  closely  pressed  by  the 
Federals.  General  Forrest  prepared  to  go  to  his  assist 
ance,  and  so  advised  him,  and  had  Buford's  division 
ready  for  that  purpose.  On  the  3Oth  a  despatch  from 
Roddey  was  received  to  the  effect  that  the  raid  had 
probably  gone  toward  Kingston,  Ga.  Forrest  sent  spe 
cific  instructions  to  Roddey  to  hold  his  command  to 
gether,  and  have  boats  ready  for  the  crossing  of  the 
Tennessee  River.  He  proposed  to  leave  on  the  ist  of 
June  with  twenty-four  hundred  men  and  six  pieces  of 
artillery  for  Decatur,  and  on  the  morning  of  that  day 
Buford's  division,  except  Newsom's  regiment  left  at 
Tupelo,  and  Russell's  at  Corinth,  set  out  for  north  Ala 
bama  with  ten  days'  rations.  Morton's  and  Rice's  bat 
teries  accompanied  the  expedition.  The  time  seemed 
to  have  come  when  Forrest  might  break  away  from  his 
department,  cross  the  Tennessee  River  and  make  a 


BRICE'S   CROSSROADS.  237 

strike  in  Sherman's  rear.  He  had  preferred  to  make  a 
move  on  Memphis,  but  was  overruled  by  General  S.  D. 
Lee,  who  thought  it  would  be  more  important  to  break 
up  railroad  lines  south  of  Nashville. 

General  Sherman  expected  this  move,  for  he  knew 
what  damage  might  be  done  by  such  a  man  as  For 
rest.  Busy  as  he  was  on  the  Georgia  campaign,  flank 
ing  and  pushing  back  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston 
toward  Atlanta,  he  found  time  to  look  well  to  the 
territory  in  his  rear,  and  urged  General  Washburn  to 
care  for  Forrest.  The  man  chosen  for  this  work  was 
Brigadier-General  Samuel  D.  Sturgis,  an  officer  of 
great  ability,  who  had  followed  Forrest  out  of  West 
Tennessee  as  far  as  Ripley,  Miss. ;  and  it  so  happened 
that  the  day  Forrest  started  for  north  Alabama,  where 
he  might  combine  with  Roddey  and  make  a  formidable 
raid  into  Middle  Tennessee,  General  Sturgis,  looking 
for  Forrest,  marched  out  from  Memphis  and  Lafay 
ette  with  thirty-three  hundred  cavalry,  forty-eight  hun 
dred  infantry,  four  hundred  artillerists,  with  twenty- 
two  guns  and  a  supply-train  of  two  hundred  and  fifty 
wagons  and  ambulances. 

General  Washburn  says  in  his  report :  "  The  num 
ber  of  troops  deemed  necessary  was  six  thousand,  but 
I  sent  eight  thousand.  Everything  was  in  complete 
order,  and  the  force  consisted  of  some  of  our  best 
troops.  I  saw  to  it  personally  that  they  lacked  noth 
ing  to  insure  a  successful  campaign."  The  cavalry  was 
divided  into  two  brigades :  the  first,  fifteen  hundred 
strong,  with  six  pieces  of  artillery,  was  commanded 
by  Colonel  George  E.  Waring,  Jr.,  a  brilliant  officer 
and  hard  fighter,  who  had  struck  Forrest  at  Okolona. 
The  second,  eighteen  hundred  strong,  accompanied  by 
a  battery  of  four  guns,  was  commanded  by  Colonel  E. 
F.  Winslow,  who  had  been  with  General  Sherman  on 
the  expedition  to  Meridian  the  previous  February. 


238  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

These  brigades  constituted  a  division  commanded  by 
Brigadier-General  B.  H.  Grierson,  a  cavalry  leader  of 
high  reputation.  The  infantry  was  divided  into  three 
brigades,  commanded  ( I )  by  Colonel  A.  Wilkins,  two 
thousand  strong,  with  six  pieces  of  artillery;  (2)  by 
Colonel  G.  B.  Hoge,  sixteen  hundred  strong,  with  four 
guns,  and  (3)  twelve  hundred  colored  troops  and  two 
guns  under  Colonel  Edward  Bouton.  All  three  united 
as  a  division  under  command  of  Colonel  W.  L.  McMil- 
lin,  the  entire  expedition  being  commanded  by  Briga 
dier-General  Sturgis.  All  were  splendidly  armed  and 
equipped.  The  weather  was  rainy,  the  roads  bad,  and 
the  country  desolate  and  almost  deserted.  The  head  of 
the  column  did  not  reach  Ripley,  in  Tippah  County, 
seventy-five  miles  from  Memphis,  until  the  7th  of 
June,  where  Winslow's  brigade  ran  up  against  two 
regiments  of  Rucker's  brigade,  who  had  been  sent  to 
develop  but  not  to  fight  any  force  in  front. 

General  Forrest  had  moved  from  Tupelo  on  the  1st 
of  June.  He  proceeded  as  far  as  Russellville,  Franklin 
County,  north  Alabama,  where  he  was  overtaken  by 
a  despatch  from  General  Lee,  directing  him  to  return 
with  all  haste,  which  he  did,  reaching  Tupelo  on  the 
6th  of  June.  He  next  made  headquarters  at  Booneville, 
on  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  Railroad,  where  Rucker  re 
ported  to  him  on  the  night  of  the  Qth.  Sturgis  had 
halted  at  Stubbs  Farm,  nine  miles  from  Brice's  cross 
roads,  and  about  the  highest  point  in  Mississippi.  For 
rest's  forces  were  scattered.  Bell's  brigade,  twenty- 
seven  hundred  and  eighty-seven  strong,  was  at  Rienzi, 
twenty-five  miles  from  Brice's ;  Rucker,  seven  hundred 
strong,  was  with  Forrest  at  Booneville,  eighteen  miles 
from  Brice's ;  Johnson's  and  Lyon's  brigades,  five  hun 
dred  and  eight  hundred  strong,  were  at  Baldwyn,  five 
and  one-half  miles  from  Brice's.  General  Forrest  had 
with  him  at  Booneville,  Morton's  and  Rice's  batteries, 


BRICE'S   CROSSROADS.  239 

besides  his  escort.  'General  Lee  came  up  from  Okolona 
by  rail  to  confer  with  Forrest,  and  formulated  the  idea 
of  falling  back  farther  so  as  to  weaken  Sturgis's  con 
nection  with  his  base  of  supplies  before  giving  battle. 
As  a  result,  General  Forrest  was  instructed  to  prepare 
three  days'  rations,  and  march  the  following  morning 
in  the  direction  of  Brice's  crossroads,  and  thence 
toward  Prairie  Mound  and  Okolona.  General  Lee 
left  that  night  with  all  supplies  not  needed  at  Boone- 
ville.  Forrest  was  not  ordered  to  retreat  or  avoid  a 
battle,  yet  there  was  such  a  suggestion  at  least  as  a 
matter  of  policy. 

That  night  Forrest  held  an  informal  council  of 
war.  His  mind  was  fairly  well  made  up,  but  he  felt 
the  necessity  of  concurrence  on  the  part  of  his  chiefs. 
General  Buford,  Colonel  Rucker,  and  Chief  of  Artil 
lery  Morton  joined  in  the  conference.  General  Forrest 
stated  that,  while  he  would  prefer  to  get  the  enemy 
into  the  open  country,  a  conflict  might  be  precipitated 
before  joining  Lee  at  Okolona,  where  Chalmers  could 
soon  be  expected  from  Alabama,  and  troops  even  be 
brought  by  rail  from  Mobile.  On  the  night  of  the 
9th  he  sent  word  to  Bell  to  prepare  three  days'  rations, 
and  be  ready  to  move  before  daylight  the  next  morning 
in  the  direction  of  Brice's  crossroads,  and  all  other 
commands  within  reach  received  similar  orders.  The 
artillery,  eight  pieces,  was  at  Booneville,  and  had  to 
be  pulled  over  eighteen  miles  of  muddy  roads  to  reach 
the  scene  of  action.  Forrest's  command  was  so  scat 
tered  that  it  could  not  all  be  concentrated  for  the  fight. 
A  man  of  more  caution  would  have  waited  at  least  for 
Chalmers  and  Roddey.  When  he  returned  hastily  from 
Alabama,  and  took  a  position  with  Buford's  brigade 
near  Rienzi,  his  impression  was  that  the  Federal  force 
coming  from  Memphis  was  intended  to  reenforce  Sher 
man  in  Georgia;  but,  after  learning  through  scouts 


240  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

that  the  column  had  turned  southward,  and  after  a 
conference  with  General  Lee,  he  made  haste  to  inter 
cept  the  movement.  Lee,  in  returning  to  Okolona, 
had  taken  with  him  Ferrell's  and  Thrall's  batteries, 
and  expected  to  make  the  fight  when  Sturgis  should 
be  well  out  in  the  open,  and  as  far  away  as  pos 
sible  from  his  base  of  supplies  and  place  of  retreat  in 
Memphis. 

The  common  road  from  Baldwyn  to  Ellistown  runs 
in  a  southwesterly  direction,  and  is  crossed  at  Brice's 
farm  by  a  road  from  Ripley,  some  twenty-two  miles 
west,  running  slightly  east  of  southeast,  through  Gun- 
town,  on  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  Railroad,  and  on  to 
Fulton  and  beyond.  Baldwyn  is  above  Guntown  and 
Tupelo  below,  as  seen  on  the  map.  There  was  a 
little  country  store  and  a  few  outhouses  near  the 
Brice  house,  still  standing,  and  forty  or  fifty  acres  of 
cleared  land.  Back  of  this  in  all  directions  was  heavy 
timber,  and  a  thick  growth  of  black-jack,  scrub-oak, 
and  bushes,  with  vines  and  briers  in  many  places 
through  which  troops,  once  off  the  road,  could  move 
only  slowly,  especially  mounted  troops.  The  country 
was  undulating  but  not  broken  into  sharp  ridges.  A 
mile  northeast  of  the  crossroads  a  lane  was  reached 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  long,  with  broad  fields  on  each  side. 
Forrest  was  coming  this  way,  but  was  not  the  first  to 
get  there. 

About  half  a  mile  west  of  Brice's,  ran,  from  north 
to  south,  Tishomingo  Creek,  which  is  some  twenty 
feet  lower  than  the  common  level  of  the  country.  The 
main  road  descends  through  high  banks  to  the  bot 
toms,  and  the  stream  at  that  time  was  spanned  by  a 
strong  bridge,  and  there  was  a  large  corn-field  in  cul 
tivation  on  the  west  side.  The  Union  forces  came  this 
way.  Grierson's  splendid  division  of  cavalry  wound 
down  toward  Brice's  at  5.30  A.  M.  on  that  bloody  loth 


JVfor«on<f-  Kic?'x  Mattery 

Brown's  Station 

Maile 

Union  Artillery 

Cunt',  1 1  rate  Artillery 

Barteau 

Escort 


BATTLEFIELD  OF 

BRICE'S  CROSS   ROADS 

OR 
TISHOMINGO  CREEK 

-Mi 


BRICK'S   CROSSROADS.  24! 

of  June.  The  infantry  took  ample  time  for  breakfast, 
and  marched  leisurely  at  7.30.  The  early  morning  air 
was  warm  and  humid  after  the  rains,  and  the  men  soon 
felt  the  languor  that  increases  with  the  rising  of  a  hot 
June  sun  in  a  semitroprcal  climate.  Still,  all  moved 
forward  with  high  hope  and  buoyant  step.  By  four 
o'clock  that  morning  Forrest  was  moving  on  a  low 
ridge  from  which  the  waters  flow  southeast  into  the 
Tombigbee  River.  His  nature  was  so  aggressive  that 
he  could  not  forego  such  an  opportunity  for  a  fight. 

There  were  only  three  small  brigades  within  easy 
reach :  Rucker,  with  seven  hundred  men,  and  the  artil 
lery  at  Booneville,  while  Lyon,  with  eight  hundred, 
and  Johnson,  just  from  north  Alabama  after  a  forced 
march,  with  five  hundred  men,  were  at  Baldwyn, 
twelve  miles  farther  south.  Total  rank  and  file,  two 
thousand.  Besides,  Forrest  had  his  escort,  eighty-five, 
and  Gatrel's  Georgia  company  of  fifty  with  him.  For 
rest's  entire  available  force  numbered  about  four  thou 
sand  seven  hundred  and  eighty-seven,  besides  artillery ; 
total,  four  thousand  eight  hundred  and  eighty-five. 
The  Federal  force  effectives  were  thirty-two  hundred 
cavalry  on  the  field,  and  infantry  forty-five  hundred, 
with  twenty-two  pieces  of  artillery,  four  hundred ; 
aggregate,  eighty-one  hundred. 

The  advance-guard  of  Waring's  brigade  had  driven 
in  the  Confederate  posts  found  above  and  at  the  bridge, 
and  followed  them  past  Brice's  and  out  to  the  left  in  the 
direction  of  Baldwyn,  as  well  as  on  the  Guntown  road. 
Advancing  a  mile,  Waring  came  to  the  lane  and  fields 
mentioned  above.  Forrest  was  coming  that  way  with 
his  escort  and  Lyon's  brigade  in  advance.  The  three 
brigades  named  were  ordered  up  at  a  gallop.  Captain 
Randles's  company  of  the  Seventh  Kentucky,  being- 
sent  forward  by  General  Lyon  to  reconnoiter,  found 
the  Federal  cavalry  in  force  and  well  posted.  The 


242  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

Third  Kentucky,  Lieutenant-Colonel  G.  A.  C.  Holt' 
was  dismounted,  thrown  forward  at  a  double-quick, 
and  soon  sharply  engaged.  Lyon  dismounted  the  Sev 
enth  Kentucky,  except  two  companies  held  as  cavalry 
on  the  flanks,  and  advanced  in  a  line  with  the  Third. 
The  Eighth  Kentucky  was  held  as  a  reserve  in  the  rear 
of  the  center.  Lyon  soon  drew  a  heavy  fire  from  the 
artillery  and  small  arms,  but  kept  up  the  aggressive  for 
some  time,  and  then  fell  back.  Forrest  sent  a  courier 
to  Old  Carrollville,  eight  miles  a\vay,  with  orders  to 
forward  the  artillery  at  a  gallop,  and  to  detach  Bar- 
teau's  Second  Tennessee  to  gain  the  Federal  rear  and 
destroy  their  train,  if  possible. 

Some  of  the  best  trained  and  most  skilful  officers 
and  gallant  veterans  of  the  Union  army  were  in  For 
rest's  front,  men  who  had  fought  him  in  West  Tennes 
see,  and  at  Okolona  and  Iveys  Farm,  and  knew  his  tac 
tics.  The  immediate  front  was  composed  of  Waring's 
brigade,  one  thousand  four  hundred  and  fifty  strong  on 
the  left,  and  Winslow's,  of  one  thousand  seven  hundred 
and  fifty  on  the  right,  with  four  pieces  of  artillery 
placed  in  position  early  in  the  morning,  and  six  guns 
held  in  reserve.  And  thus  the  opposing  forces  met  and 
faced  each  other  across  the  fields  and  in  the  woods. 
Forrest  was  first  playing  for  time,  and  after  Lyon  made 
a  show  of  fighting  and  fell  back,  he  had  the  fences 
laid  down  as  if  preparing  for  a  general  charge.  About 
ten  o'clock  Lyon  assumed  the  offensive  with  two  regi 
ments,  and  succeeded  in  driving  the  enemy  back  three 
hundred  yards.  Forrest  placed  the  Seventh  arid  Eighth 
Kentucky  slightly  in  advance,  and  to  the  right  on  the 
road.  Rucker  dismounted  and  took  a  position  in  line 
of  battle,  and  was  soon  warmly  engaged.  Johnson's 
brigade,  mounted,  was  placed  on  Lyon's  right,  and  the 
battle  seemed  fairly  opened.  Morton's  and  Rice's  bat 
teries  came  eight  miles  on  a  run  and  took  position  in 


BRICE'S  CROSSROADS.  243 

an  open  field  in  the  rear  of  Lyon,  and  opened  with 
spirit.  Duff's  Mississippians  were  thrown  half  a  mile 
to  the  left  to  guard  that  flank,  and  Captain  W.  A. 
Tyler,  with  two  companies  of  Kentuckians,  was  sent 
to  the  left,  and  also  a  company  under  Captain  W.  D. 
Stratton,  detached  from  the  Nineteenth  Tennessee. 
Rucker  charged  across  an  open  field  with  the  Seventh 
Tennessee  and  the  Eighteenth  Mississippi  battalion,  in 
the  face  of  a  heavy  force  of  infantry.  The  battalion  on 
the  left  was  unsupported,  and  driven  back  by  a  heavy 
enfilading  fire.  Rucker,  however,  rallied  his  line,  and 
in  conjunction  with  Lieutenant-Colonels  William  F. 
Taylor,  of  the  Seventh  Tennessee,  and  Alexander  H. 
Chalmers,  of  the  Mississippi  battalion,  made  another 
onset  which  was  more  successful,  though  at  heavy  loss. 
The  Seventh  Tennessee  lost  about  one-third  its  strength 
in  killed  and  wounded.  Lyon  had  advanced  well  in  the 
face  of  a  heavy  fire,  but  with  severe  losses. 

Buford  came  on  the  field  at  about  half-past  twelve 
p.  M.  with  Russell's  and  Wilson's  regiments  of  Bell's 
brigade,  and  Forrest  placed  them  on  Rucker's  left. 
Buford  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  right  and 
center,  which  included  Lyon's  and  Johnson's  brigades 
and  the  artillery,  eight  guns,  with  instructions  to  throw 
in  his  entire  force  as  soon  as  Bell  was  heard  on  the 
left.  Bell  advanced  to  the  onset  about  half-past  one 
o'clock.  The  Federals  occupied  ground  somewhat 
higher  than  that  of  the  Confederates,  and  it  was  slightly 
undulating  and  thickly  shaded  by  stunted  trees  and 
tangled  vines.  Temporary  breastworks  of  logs  and 
rails  had  been  thrown  up  hastily  by  the  Federals.  Bell 
received  a  galling  fire ;  Wilson's  regiment  on  the  ex 
treme  left  was  enfiladed  and  repulsed,  and  many  offi 
cers  and  men  fell  in  the  struggle.  For  a  time  the  issue 
seemed  to  be  against  the  Confederates,  but  the  lines 
were  rallied,  and  at  the  supreme  moment  Lieutenant- 


244  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

Colonel  Wisdom,  with  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  men 
of  Newsom's  regiment,  came  upon  the  field,  and 
formed,  dismounted,  on  Wilson's  left.  Forrest  had 
admonished  the  men  that  this  was  to  be  no  feint,  but  a 
fight  to  the  death  for  victory.  An  advance  was  made 
all  along  the  line. 

The  Federals  made  charge  after  charge  in  fearless 
and  gallant  style,  and  as  fresh  troops  were  constantly 
arriving  from  the  rear,  the  fates  appeared  to  be  greatly 
in  their  favor.  But  the  Confederates  fought  on  with 
desperation,  and  gained  ground  little  by  little.  The 
lines  came  close  together  in  Rucker's  front,  and  when 
he  was  about  to  be  driven  back,  his  men  drew  their 
revolvers  and  closed  in  on  their  assailants,  driving  them 
back  with  heavy  loss.  In  this  hand-to-hand  fight.  For 
rest  led  his  two  escort  companies  on  foot,  and  by  his 
presence  and  fierce  onslaught  did  much  to  inspire  the 
men  and  roll  back  the  tide  of  battle.  Soon  after  this 
he  ordered  Morton's  battery  to  the  front,  where  there 
was  not  even  a  support,  but  he  opened  with  double  can 
ister  shot  with  startling  effect.  Four  of  the  guns  were 
rolled  by  hand  down  a  wooded  slope  to  within  sixty 
yards  of  the  Federals  at  the  edge  of  a  small  field,  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  northeast  of  the  Brice  house,  and 
opened  on  a  line  just  as  it  was  resuming  the  offensive. 
Johnson  and  Lyon  charged  successfully  on  the  right, 
where  the  battle  raged  with  great  fury,  and  Bell's  and 
Rucker's  brigades  finally  swept  everything  before  them 
on  the  left.  The  Confederate  line  was  shortened  but 
strengthened  as  it  converged  upon  the  center  of  the 
field.  After  nearly  two  hours'  furious  fighting,  the 
Federals  were  forced  westward  of  Brice's  into  a  bot 
tom  where  infantry,  cavalry,  and  artillery  were  huddled 
in  a  confused  mass  under  a  deadly  fire  from  Morton's 
and  Rice's  batteries.  The  battle  was  practically  over 
before  four  o'clock.  Meantime  Barteau's  Second  Ten- 


BRICE'S   CROSSROADS.  245 

nessee,  only  two  hundred  and  fifty  strong,  by  taking 
a  circuitous  route,  had  succeeded  in  reaching  the  Fed 
eral  rear  about  the  time  the  'battle  was  at  its  height. 
Kis  presence  was  quickly  known  to  the  Federals  and 
to  Forrest's  men  on  the  extreme  flanks,  and  was  in 
great  part  the  cause  of  the  loss  of  the  wagon-train. 
Colonel  Barteau  says :  "  I  succeeded  in  reaching  the 
Federal  rear  just  as  the  fighting  seemed  heaviest  in 
front.  I  at  once  deployed  my  men  in  a  long  line,  had 
my  bugler  ride  up  and  down  sounding  the  charge  at 
different  points,  and  kept  up  as  great  a  show  as  I  could, 
and  a  vigorous  fire  upon  the  Federals  until  their  com 
plete  rout  was  evident.  I  was  on  the  flank  and  rear  of 
their  position  when  Waring's  and  Winslow's  brigades 
came  back."  This  daring  movement  created  great 
commotion  not  only  in  the  reserve  brigade  of  infantry 
and  colored  troops  guarding  the  train,  but  drew  off 
all  of  Grierson's  cavalry  that  could  be  spared  from  the 
front.  After  that  it  became  a  race  for  the  bridge,  where 
over  a  hundred  Federals  were  killed. 

Two  miles  from  the  battle-field  Colonel  McMillin 
rallied  portions  of  the  First  and  Second  Brigades  be 
tween  five  and  six  o'clock,  at  the  residence  of  Dr.  E. 
Agnew,  and  made  a  resolute  resistance  for  fifty  or  sixty 
minutes,  enabling  many  of  the  Union  forces  to  pass 
out  through  his  lines.  But  this,  the  last  stand  worthy 
of  the  name,  was  quickly  abandoned  when  opened  upon 
by  Morton's  artillery. 

The  bridge  for  a  time  was  blocked  with  dead  men, 
wagons,  and  animals,  and  the  fleeing  troops  plunged 
into  the  stream  above  and  below,  and  as  they  came  out 
in  the  field  on  the  west  side  they  were  at  once  subjected 
to  a  heavy  fire  from  small  arms  and  artillery.  It  was 
difficult  to  clear  the  bridge,  but  a  section  of  Rice's  bat 
tery  was  worked  across  and  opened  upon  the  negro 
brigade  held  in  reserve,  and  when  the  way  was  better 


246  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

opened  other  artillery  followed  and  joined  in  the  pur 
suit.  An  order  was  given  by  Forrest  for  the  cavalry 
to  halt,  reorganize,  and  pursue.  This  was  done 
promptly  and  effectively.  The  artillery  continued  for 
some  distance  to  play  an  important  part.  Forrest's 
force  in  the  field  at  the  time  of  the  most  serious  work 
of  the  day  was  about  t\vo  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
eighty  men.  Every  regiment  was  dismounted.  De 
ducting  horse-holders,  he  had  in  this  last  desperate 
concentrated  effort  about  seventeen  hundred  men  and 
two  batteries — Morton's  and  Rice's — one  hundred  and 
sixty  men. 

The  night  after  the  battle  of  Brice's  crossroads 
General  Forrest  was  urging  the  pursuit  of  Sturgis's 
flying  column  with  all  his  wonted  energy.  Coming 
upon  a  squadron  of  his  men  at  a  creek,  who  had  stopped 
in  the  near  presence  of  what  appeared  to  be  a  strong 
rear-guard,  he  asked  what  the  trouble  was,  and  was 
told  that  the  Federal  rear-guard  stood  at  bay  a  few 
rods  in  front.  He  at  once  took  from  his  pocket  a 
small  piece  of  candle,  lighted  it,  and  held  it  over  his 
head,  to  the  terror  of  his  men,  who  feared  it  would  cost 
him  his  life.  "  What  is  that  ?  "  he  asked,  pointing  to 
some  object  in  the  water.  "  A  wagon,"  was  the  reply. 
"And  that?"  "A  gun."  "Come  on,  men!"  he 
shouted,  plunging  into  the  creek.  "  In  a  rout  like  this 
ten  men  are  equal  to  a  thousand.  They  will  not  stop 
to  fight."  And  so  it  proved,  as  the  daring  horseman 
led  the  pursuit  for  several  hours  in  the  darkness  with 
out  adventure.  Late  that  evening  several  commands 
were  assembled  west  of  Tishomingo  Creek,  and  about 
one  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  nth,  Forrest  gave 
orders  to  resume  the  pursuit.  Rucker's  brigade,  with 
the  Seventh  Tennessee  in  the  lead,  was  in  front,  and 
within  three  miles  at  daylight  came  up  with  the  Fed 
eral  rear-guard  at  Stubbs  Farm.  After  a  slight  skir- 


BRICE'S   CROSSROADS.  247 

mish  the  enemy  fled,  leaving  the  remainder  of  their 
wagon-train,  nine  pieces  of  artillery,  and  twenty-five 
ambulances,  as  well  as  some  wounded. 

The  Federals  were  greatly  scattered  over  the  coun 
try,  and  Forrest  threw  out  a  regiment  on  each  side  of 
the  road  as  much  to  gather  up  firearms  and  other  de 
sirable  property  as  prisoners.  Rucker's  horses  were 
exhausted,  and  Bell's  brigade  took  the  lead.  Four 
miles  east  of  Ripley  the  Federals  were  found  drawn  up 
west  of  Hatchie  Creek,  with  skirmishers  in  the  woods 
near  the  stream.  Forrest  dismounted  two  of  Bell's 
regiments,  moved  leftward  up  the  creek,  crossed  over 
and  flanked  the  Federals  out  of  their  position  after  a 
slight  skirmish.  The  Federals  made  a  stand  at  Ripley 
in  some  force.  Wilson's  regiment,  the  advance  of 
Bell's  brigade,  reached  there  about  8  A.  M.  Forrest 
came  up  with  his  escort,  and  joined  Wilson  in  a  suc 
cessful  charge.  The  enemy  fled,  leaving  thirty  dead 
and  sixty  wounded  on  the  field,  including  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  George  M.  McCaig,  One  Hundred  and 
Twentieth  Illinois  Infantry.  Buford  came  up  with 
Rucker's  and  Lyon's  brigades,  and  continued  the  pur 
suit  toward  Salem.  Many  more  prisoners  were  taken. 
Forrest  went  forward  with  Bell's  brigade  by  a  differ 
ent  road.  Near  Salem,  a  few  miles  from  the  home  of 
his  youth,  he  fell  from  his  horse  from  exhaustion,  and 
was  unconscious  for  more  than  an  hour.  That  night 
he  rested  with  staff  and  escort  at  the  house  of  Orriri 
Beck,  a  maternal  uncle.  The  pursuit  grew  weaker  as 
men  and  horses  were  exhausted,  but  it  was  continued 
in  the  direction  of  Memphis  about  fifty-eight  miles. 
Bell's  brigade  which  left  Rienzi  at  4  A.  M.  on  the 
loth,  marched  twenty-five  miles  to  Brice's  crossroads, 
fought  from  2  p.  M.  to  4  p.  M.,  joined  in  the  pursuit, 
and  on  the  night  of  the  nth  camped  at  Davis  Mill, 
twelve  miles  north  of  Salem,  a  distance  of  eighty-five 
17 


248  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

miles  from  the  starting-point.  Other  commands  were 
distinguished  likewise.  Morton's  artillery  ran  eighteen 
miles  to  reach  the  battle-field,  was  engaged  five  hours, 
joined  in  the  pursuit,  and  reached  Salem  on  the  night 
of  the  nth,  having  made  sixty-one  miles  in  thirty-eight 
hours.  So  great  was  the  strain  that  fifteen  of  his  horses 
fell  dead  in  the  pursuit. 

The  Federals  made  all  possible  haste  on  the  return 
to  Memphis.  The  cavalry  had  the  advantage  and  the 
infantry  suffered  more  heavily.  Waring's  cavalry  bri 
gade  lost  only  two  hundred  and  seven,  and  Winslow's 
one  hundred  and  twenty-six.  The  colored  troops,  it 
was  reported  afterward,  wore  badges  inscribed  "  Re 
member  Fort  Pillow."  Few,  if  any,  of  the  badges 
were  captured  on  the  prisoners,  and  the  facts  were  not 
known  to  Forrest's  men  until  after  the  battle.  Some 
of  the  pursuers,  including  a  small  detachment  from 
Newsom's  Nineteenth  Tennessee  regiment,  reached 
Grand  Junction  and  La  Grange,  though  not  in  force. 
Brice's  crossroads  is  now  Bethany,  as  a  post-office 
in  Lee  County,  Miss.  The  battle  was  fought  in  what 
was  then  Pontotoc  County,  and  extended  nearly  three 
miles  into  Tippah  County,  on  the  road  to  Ripley,  the 
county  seat. 

The  spoils  taken  by  Forrest's  men  were  abundant 
and  of  the  finest  quality.  General  Sturgis's  headquar 
ters  wagon  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  victors,  and  in 
it  were  morning  reports  showing  ten  thousand  two 
hundred  and  sixty-five  men  on  the  muster-rolls,  but 
probably  not  all  present  for  duty.  He  reported  after 
ward  that  four  hundred,  including  one  hundred  cav 
alry,  were  sent  back  from  Stubbs  Farm. 

The  Federal  medical  department  was  especially 
well  stocked  with  everything  required  for  the  treat 
ment  of  soldiers  on  the  battle-field  and  in  hospitals. 
Five  splendid  new  ambulances,  loaded  with  valuable 


BRICE'S   CROSSROADS.  249 

stores,  were  sent  through  the  country  under  guard  to 
General  Johnston's  army  in  Georgia. 

General  Sturgis  made  quick  time  back  to  Memphis, 
reaching  Collierville  in  forty-eight  hours.  All  his  sol 
diers  were  in  a  most  dilapidated  condition.  It  was  a 
matter  of  great  mortification  to  him  and  to  his  gallant 
officers  that  they  were  so  defeated,  and  the  general 
was  afterward  subjected  to  harsh  criticism  and  in 
quiry  before  a  military  court,  and,  although  not 
formally  deposed  for  his  unavoidable  defeat  he  was 
not  again  given  an  opportunity  to  so  distinguish  him 
self.  General  Sherman  had  severely  censured  Gen 
eral  William  Sooy  Smith  *  for  allowing  himself 
to  be  badly  worsted  by  Forrest  at  West  Point, 
Okolona,  and  Prairie  Station  in  the  latter  part  of 
February,  1864.  Sturgis  did  not  fare  much  better,  and 
little  more  was  heard  of  him  during  the  war.  Had  he 
secured  that  one  "  little  lock  of  hair  "  his  reputation 
would  have  been  secure. 

On  the  I2th  of  June  Forrest  returned  slowly  to 
Ripley,  remained  there  that  night,  and  reached  Brice's 
crossroads  on  the  morning  of  the  I3th.  His  first  order 
was  for  the  removal  of  the  wounded  of  both  sides 
to  hospitals  on  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  Railroad,  and  the 
next  one  required  brigade  commanders  to  make  de 
tailed  reports  of  all  captured  property.  On  the  same 
afternoon  he  established  headquarters  at  Guntown, 
where  he  was  soon  actively  engaged  in  the  reorganiza 
tion  of  his  command.  A  few  days  later  he  repaired 
to  Tupelo.  About  that  time  Roddey's  force  was  placed 
under  Forrest,  and  ordered  to  Corinth,  leaving  three 
hundred  men  in  north  Alabama. 


*  Forrest's  command  called  him  "  Sookey  Smith,"  while 
General  Andrew  J.  Smith  .was  known  amoug  them  as  ''Old 
Baldy,"  by  way  of  distinction. 


2$0  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

In  a  report  dated  at  Memphis,  June  24th,  General 
Sturgis  gave  his  losses  in  killed,  wounded,  and  missing 
at  two  thousand  two  hundred  and  forty,  but  the  re 
ports  of  brigade  and  regimental  commanders  make  a 
total  of  two  thousand  six  hundred  and  twelve. 

Chief  Surgeon  Dr.  J.  B.  Cowan,  of  General  For 
rest's  staff,  reported  four  hundred  and  ninety-two 
killed  and  wounded  on  the  Confederate  side.  Rucker's 
brigade  lost  twenty-three  per  cent  and  Lyon's  over 
twenty  per  cent  in  killed  and  wounded.  The  general 
commanding,  in  an  address  to  his  soldiers,  claimed  as 
the  results  of  the  victory  seventeen  guns,  two  hundred 
and  fifty  wagons,  three  thousand  stand  of  arms,  three 
hundred  thousand  rounds  of  small-arm  ammunition, 
two  thousand  prisoners,  and  killed  and  wounded  two 
thousand.*  He  paid  a  high  tribute  to  the  gallantry  of 
his  men  as  well  as  to  Brigadier-General  Buford,  com 
manding  division,  and  to  brigade-commanders  Colo 
nels  E.  W.  Rucker,  W.  A.  Johnson,  Lyon,  and  Bell, 
Captain  John  W.  Morton,  chief  of  artillery,  and  to 
staff-officers  Major  C.  W.  Anderson,  Captain  W.  H. 
Brand,  and  Lieutenants  Clay,  Sam.  Donelson,  Titus, 
and  M.  C.  Gallaway.  Forrest  could  well  congratulate 
his  men  upon  such  a  remarkable  victory  over  the  best 
troops  of  the  Union  army  in  greatly  superior  numbers. 
Away  from  his  immediate  superior  commander  he 
planned  the  battle,  and  it  was  fought  and  won  in  an 
incredibly  short  space  of  time.  There  was  no  time  or 
place  during  the  action  when  he  was  not  outnumbered 
except  at  the  last,  when  the  retreat  began.  His  forces, 
although  scattered  at  first  and  weary  from  long 
marches,  were  brought  together  and  handled  with  con 
summate  tact  and  judgment.  The  general  fully  grasped 
the  situation,  and  seized  a  rare  opportunity  to  win  a 

*  Rebellion  Records,  Series  I,  vol.  xxxix,  p.  228. 


BRICE'S  CROSSROADS.  251 

victory  which  was  without  parallel  during  the  war,  as 
conceded  by  leading  generals  on  both  sides.  This  was 
doubtless  Forrest's  greatest  achievement  from  a  mili 
tary  standpoint,  and  the  climax  of  his  hard-earned 
fame.  The  Confederacy  was  losing  strength,  and  every 
battle  or  skirmish  only  hastened  its  inevitable  downfall. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

SEVERE    REPULSE   AT    nXRRISBURG,   JULY  14,  1864. 

THE  Union  leaders  in  the  field,  as  well  as  the  au 
thorities  at  Washington,  realized  at  once  the  serious 
import  of  the  disaster  at  Brice's  crossroads,  and  re 
solved  to  retrieve  it  at  any  cost  or  hazard.  General 
Grant,  in  his  Memoirs,  says :  "  Forrest  had  met  Stur- 
gis  in  command  of  some  cavalry  in  Mississippi,  and 
had  used  him  very  roughly,  gaining  a  great  victory 
over  him.  .  .  .  Two  divisions  under  A.  J.  Smith 
had  been  sent  to  Louisiana  some  months  before.  Sher 
man  ordered  these  back,  with  directions  to  attack  For 
rest."*  This  was  part  of  a  prompt  movement  in  force, 
leading  to  the  battle  of  Harrisburg,  fought  on  the  I4th 
of  July  on  a  hill  above  and  west  of  Tupelo. 

Secretary  of  War  Stanton  on  the  I4th  of  June  tele 
graphed  General  Sherman  that  he  had  just  received 
the  report  of  the  battle  between  Sturgis  and  Forrest, 
"  in  which  our  forces  were  defeated  with  great  loss. 
Washburn  estimates  our  loss  at  not  less  than  three  thou 
sand."  Sherman  replied :  "  I  have  ordered  A.  J.  Smith 
not  to  go  to  Mobile,  but  to  go  to  Memphis  and  to  de 
feat  Forrest  at  all  costs.  Forrest  has  only  his  cavalry. 
I  can  not  understand  how  he  could  defeat  Sturgis  with 
eight  thousand  men.  ...  I  know  I  would  have  been 
willing  to  attempt  the  same  task  with  that  force ;  but 
Forrest  is  the  devil,  and  I  think  he  has  got  some  of  our 

*  Memoirs  of  General  Grant,  vol.  ii,  p.  306. 

252 


SEVERE    REPULSE    AT    HARRISBURG.  253 

troops  under  cower.  I  have  two  officers  at  Memphis 
who  will  fight  all  the  time — A.  J.  Smith  and  Mower. 
I  will  order  them  to  make  up  a  force  and  go  out  to 
follow  Forrest  to  the  death,  if  it  costs  ten  thousand 
lives  and  breaks  the  Treasury.  There  never  will  be 
peace  in  Tennessee  until  Forrest  is  dead."*  Again  he 
telegraphed  to  Stanton  on  the  2Oth  as  to  Forrest :  "  He 
whipped  Sturgis  fair  and  square,  and  now  I  have  got 
against  him  A.  J.  Smith  and  Mower,  and  will  let  them 
try  their  hands."  On  the  24th  of  June  General  Sher 
man  sent  a  message  to  President  Lincoln,  in  which  he 
said :  "  I  have  ordered  General  A.  J.  Smith  and  Gen 
eral  Mower  from  Memphis  to  pursue  and  kill  Forrest, 
promising  the  latter,  in  case  of  success,  my  influence 
to  promote  him  to  a  major-general." 

Forrest  had  surely  grown  to  be  a  disturbing  factor 
and  a  menace  to  the  rear  of  Sherman's  army  when  it 
was  deemed  necessary  to  make  such  an  offer  to  secure 
his  destruction.  Not  only  this,  but  his  presence  on  the 
field  detained  Union  forces  at  Decatur,  at  Nashville, 
and  various  other  points  which  might  otherwise  have 
been  employed  rapidly  and  successfully  to  crush  out 
what  was  left  of  the  Southern  Confederacy,  which  even 
then  was  gasping  for  breath,  and  was  so  soon  to  pass 
into  the  shadows  of  history.  Never  commanding  more 
than  five  thousand  men  in  any  action,  Forrest  mobilized 
his  skeleton  regiments  and  fought  them  either  as 
mounted  infantry  or  dismounted  cavalry,  and  so  often 
changed  front  and  used  his  artillery  as  the  picket  line, 
that  it  required  a  largely  superior  force  to  look  after 
him.  Hence  the  importance  now  of  engaging  his  at 
tention  by  a  strong  movement  quickly  organized  to 
destroy  him  if  possible. 

Of  the  several  commanders  sent  out  to  vanquish 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxviii,  part  iv,  p.  480. 


254  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    FORREST. 

Forrest,  General  A.  J.  Smith  was,  perhaps,  one  of  the 
ablest,  and,  in  conjunction  with  Brigadier-General 
Joseph  A.  Mower,  who  was  offered  the  brilliant  prize 
of  a  major-generalship,  he  moved  forth,  resolved  not 
to  be  surprised,  and  in  this  he  succeeded.  His  force 
consisted  of  thirty-two  hundred  cavalry  under  Grier- 
son,  eleven  thousand  infantry,  twenty-four  pieces  of 
artillery,  and  five  hundred  artillerists.  Brigadier-Gen 
eral  Mower  commanded  the  First  Division,  Sixteenth 
Army-corps ;  Colonel  David  Moore  commanded  the 
Third  Division,  and  Colonel  Edward  Bouton  com 
manded  the  First  Brigade  of  the  United  States  colored 
troops,  Major-General  A.  J.  Smith  being  in  chief  com 
mand.  The  expedition  moved  out  from  La  Grange, 
forty-nine  miles  east  of  Memphis,  on  the  5th  day  of 
July,  1864,  passed  through  Ripley  on  the  8th,  crossed 
the  Tallahatchie  at  New  Albany  on  the  Qth,  and 
camped  on  the  night  of  the  loth  five  miles  north  of 
Pontotoc.  Thus  far  there  had  been  no  serious  resist 
ance.  The  Confederate  outpost  at  Ripley,  some  six 
hundred  strong,  under  command  of  Lieutenant-Colo 
nel  Hyams,  First  Mississippi  Partizans,  had  been 
thrown  forward  on  the  7th,  and  skirmished  with 
Smith's  advance,  but  fell  back  through  Ripley  to  El- 
listown,  fifteen  miles  to  the  northwestward  of  Tupelo. 
Generals  Lee  and  Forrest  had  been  making  head 
quarters  and  concentrating  some  troops  at  Okolona, 
and  Chalmers,  who  had  returned  from  Alabama, 
was  ordered  forward  to  Pontotoc  and  reached  that 
neighborhood  on  the  nth,  with  orders  to  skirmish 
sharply  and  detain  the  enemy's  advance  if  possible  for 
two  days,  and  he  disposed  his  two  brigades  accordingly 
on  the  different  roads. 

The  Federal  column  advanced  in  parallelogram 
form  with  line  of  battle  flanked  by  cavalry,  wagons  in 
the  center,  infantry  and  cavalry  in  the  rear.  Lyon's 


SEVERE    REPULSE   AT    HARRISBURG.  255 

brigade  was  encountered  at  Pontotoc,  and  pressed  back 
slowly,  but  only  a  few  miles'  progress  was  made  that 
day.  General  Forrest  was  on  the  field,  and  was  joined 
by  the  commander  of  the  department.  The  road  in 
front  ran  for  two  miles  through  a  swamp,  and  Chal 
mers's  force  made  such  resistance  that  General  Smith 
abandoned  the  idea  of  marching  to  Okolona,  and  on 
the  morning  of  the  I3th  he  turned  to  the  left  almost  a 
right  angle,  and  moved  toward  Tupelo,  eighteen  miles 
eastward.  His  skirmishers  on  the  Okolona  road  were 
called  in,  and  the  rear  was  brought  up  by  the  colored 
brigade  and  the  Seventh  Kansas  Cavalry.  His  object 
was  to  secure  possession  of  the  railroad  at  Tupelo,  and 
thus  be  able  to  select  his  own  battle-ground.  There 
was  sharp  skirmishing  on  the  line  of  march  nearly  all 
day,  and  when  within  about  eight  miles  of  Pontotoc 
General  Chalmers,  by  order  of  General  Lee,  made  a 
bold  attack  on  the  flank  of  the  train,  which  was  suc 
cessful  only  to  the  extent  of  destroying  seven  wagons 
and  some  caissons  and  ambulances,  and  killing  twenty- 
seven  mules.  The  Confederates  were  repulsed  with 
losses.  Colonel  Duff,  commanding  a  Mississippi  regi 
ment,  was  wounded,  and  lost  forty-seven  killed  and 
wounded.  General  Buford  also  made  an  attack  on  the 
flank  farther  up  the  road,  but  without  success.  General 
Forrest  brought  up  the  rear  until  nine  o'clock  at  night, 
when  he  reached  a  point  two  miles  from  Harrisburg, 
near  Tupelo,  and  there  employed  Mabry's  brigade  and 
four  pieces  of  artillery  to  feel  the  enemy.  At  a 
later  hour  he  went  to  the  front,  accompanied  only  by 
a  staff-officer,  Lieutenant  Samuel  Donelson,  made  a 
wide  detour  for  an  hour  or  more,  rode  through  the 
pickets  and  teamsters  unnoticed  at  first,  discovered  the 
strong  position  of  the  Federals,  and  only  escaped  by 
a  dash  back  through  the  woods  at  full  speed  and 
under  fire.  The  train  was  parked  two  miles  west  of 


256  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

Tupelo,  and  General  Grierson  held  the  town  and  rail 
road. 

The  Federal  line,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  long,  was 
in  a  semicircle  form  on  a  low  ridge  running  north  and 
south,  and  faced  west  toward  Pontotoc.  The  left  rested 
near  the  railroad  south  of  Tupelo,  and  the  right  half  a 
mile  north  of  Harrisburg.  There  was  much  open  space 
and  lightly  timbered  land  in  front  through  which  the 
Confederates  would  have  to  advance.  At  some  points 
they  would  be  in  plain  view  for  a  distance  of  five  hun 
dred  or  a  thousand  yards.  General  Smith  had  made  a 
good  selection  of  position,  and  it  was  well  strengthened 
during  the  night.  The  twenty-four  guns  were  advan 
tageously  placed,  and  there  was  a  cavalry  brigade  on 
each  flank.  General  Smith  was  ready  for  battle.  While 
General  Lee  was  not,  with  the  limited  force  at  his  com 
mand,  yet  he  was  compelled  for  various  reasons  to 
bring  on  an  engagement.  His  department  was  men 
aced  by  movements  from  Vicksburg  and  north  Ala 
bama,  which  he  felt  compelled  to  meet,  and  if  he  had  to 
leave  Forrest  he  would  be  obliged  to  withdraw  some  of 
his  troops  on  the  field.  Forrest  never  acquiesced  in 
the  resolve  of  his  superior,  and  declined  to  accept  the 
command  tendered  him  for  the  day.  The  Confederate 
line  of  battle  was  arranged  with  Roddey's  division — 
Patterson's  and  Johnson's  brigades — on  the  extreme 
right ;  Colonel  Crossland,  commanding  brigade  of  Ken- 
tuckians  next  to  the  left  in  the  center,  but  on  the  right 
of  the  road;  Rice's  battery,  P>ell's  brigade  next,  and 
Mabry's  brigade,  with  one  section  of  Morton's  battery, 
on  the  extreme  left  flank  of  the  fighting  line.  The. 
other  section  of  Morton's  battery  was  under  command 
of  Lieutenant  Tully  Brown,  to  the  left  of  the  road  to 
Harrisburg.  The  reserve  was  composed  of  McCul- 
loch's  brigade,  and  Neely's  and  Gholson's  dismounted 
men,  an  infantry  force  of  seven  hundred  under  General 


SEVERE    REPULSE   AT    HARRISBURG.          257 

Lyon,  and  Thrall's,  Ferrell's,  and  Hudson's  batteries. 
The  Confederate  forces  on  the  field  in  front  and  in  re 
serve  were,  as  near  as  can  be  ascertained,  as  follows: 

Chalmers's  division,  composed  of 

McCulloch's  and  Rucker's  brigades  ...........  ...  2,300 

Buford's    division,    Bell's,    Lyon's,    and    Mabry's 

brigades  ...................  .  ................  ^.  ..   3,200 

Roddey's    division,     Patterson's    and    Johnson's 

brigades  .......................................  .1,500 

Lyon's  infantry  division  . 

Beltzhooven's  battalion  of  infantry  ..............       900 

Gholson's  (dismounted)  brigade  .................       600 

Neely's  "       .................       600 

Artillerists,  20  guns  ............................       3°° 


Total 


The  infantry  were  in  line  of  battle,  but  partly  in 
reserve.  Deducting  horse-holders,  the  available  Con 
federate  force  was  about  seventy-five  hundred,  though 
not  half  engaged  during  the  day. 

General  Forrest  had  sufficient  cause  to  decline  the 
command  offered  him  on  account  of  his  ill-health  if 
for  nothing  else.  He  had  been  suffering  for  some  time, 
and  two  weeks  previously  had  requested  General  Lee 
to  relieve  him.  Without  actual  command,  he  was  given 
his  choice,  and  elected  to  go  in  the  fight  with  Roddey's 
division  on  the  right. 

By  seven  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  I4th,  the 
Confederates  were  in  order  of  battle  facing  directly 
east,  and  moved  up  to  the  timber-line  where  they 
halted,  and  firing  was  opened  at  long  range  both  from 
small  arms  and  artillery,  and  was  continued  without 
serious  effect  for  an  hour.  At  eight  o'clock  General 
Lee  directed  General  Forrest  to  ride  down  to  the  right 
and  swing  Roddey's  division  around  on  the  Union 
left.  This  movement,  however,  was  confronted  by 
heavy  reenforcements  which  General  Smith  could  easily 
spare  from  other  parts  of  his  lines,  and  General  For- 


258  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

rest  reached  the  conclusion  that  it  would  be  best  to  hold 
Roddey  in  check.  So  there  was  no  assault  made  on  the 
Union  left.  The  lines  were  not  nearer  together  than 
four  hundred  yards.  A  part  of  Buford's  division  ad 
vanced  prematurely  and  overconfidently.  Grassland's 
Kentucky  brigade  rushed  ahead  of  the  main  line,  and 
was  soon  under  a  terrific  fire.  The  men  seemed  reck 
less  of  life,  and  without  fear  or  reason.  Their  officers 
had  little  control  over  them.  The  artillery  was  served 
with  fine  effect,  but  the  dismounted  cavalry  regiments 
and  brigades  went  in  without  method,  to  be  shot  down 
by  platoons  and  sections.  Again  and  again  they  fell 
back,  rallied,  and  charged,  always  with  terrible  losses. 
The  brigades  were  not  alined  so  as  to  cooperate.  The 
enemy  could  see  this,  and  quickly  took  advantage  of 
the  irregularity  with  which  the  main  charges  were 
made.  No  general  plan  was  observed  after  the  first 
shock  of  battle.  It  was  a  scorching  hot  day ;  the  beds 
of  streams  were  dry ;  vegetation  burned  to  a  crisp ; 
the  sultry  air,  laden  with  dust  and  sand,  and  a  red  July 
sky  glowed  through  sulfurous,  lazy  smoke  upon  fields 
where  the  cyclones  of  battle  had  met  to  wrestle.  In 
this  fierce,  remorseless  work  mere  personal  valor  and 
deeds  of  daring  were  of  no  avail.  For  two  hours  the 
contest  raged,  and  not  a  point  on  the  Union  line  had 
been  broken,  although  the  fragments  of  brigades 
charged  time  after  time  up  within  a  few  yards  of  the 
breastworks  and  were  shot  down,  until  regiments  looked 
like  mere  skirmish  lines.  The  award  for  rash  courage 
could  not  be  claimed  for  any  one  command.  Cross- 
land's  Kentuckians,  Bell's  Tennesseeans,  McCulloch's 
Missourians  and  others,  Mabry's  Mississippians,  Mor 
ton's,  Rice's,  and  Thrall's  artillerymen  all  threw  them 
selves  into  the  supreme  struggle  with  an  abandon  that 
has  seldom  been  recorded  in  the  history  of  civilized 
peoples.  The  straggling  commands  going  up  the  hill 


SEVERE   REPULSE   AT   HARRISBURG.  259 

across  an  open  field  drew  a  concentrated  fire  from  more 
than  five  times,  or  even  ten  times,  their  number.  It 
was  Crossland's  brigade  of  seven  hundred  men  first, 
then  Bell's,  and  then  Mabry's.  Rucker,  the  stubborn 
fighter,  was  ordered  to  take  the  place  of  Mabry,  but 
when  within  fifty  yards  of  the  Federal  lines  was  twice 
wounded  and  his  men  driven  back,  leaving  the  ground 
strewn  with  the  dead  and  dying.  McCulloch's  brigade 
was  ordered  to  the  support  of  Crossland,  but  recalled 
before  it  reached  the  fatal  zone  of  battle  in  the  center  of 
the  field.  Forrest  moved  Roddey's  command  to  Cross- 
land's  original  position,  but  further  advance  was  not  to 
be  thought  of.  The  commands  engaged  went  in  by 
piecemeal  and  were  slaughtered  by  wholesale.  At  the 
end  of  two  hours'  desperate  fighting,  without  organi 
zation  or  skilful  handling,  the  Confederates  were  re 
pulsed  at  every  point.  It  was  all  gallantry  and 
useless  sacrifice  of  life.  General  Mower  advanced 
his  lines  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  and  thus  ended  a  bloody 
battle  and  costly  mistake.  The  attack  having  failed 
with  disastrous  results,  the  Confederates  fell  back  to 
the  position  held  early  in  the  morning,  leaving  McCul- 
loch  in  advance,  where  he  remained  several  hours. 

General  Forrest  never  questioned  the  judgment  or 
authority  of  his  superior  officer  in  command,  or  com 
plained  afterward,  but  he  said  on  the  field  and  else 
where  that  it  was  not  his  fight,  and  that  if  it  had  been 
successful  General  Lee  would  have  been  entitled  to  the 
credit  of  the  plan  and  its  execution.  The  Confederate 
loss  in  killed  and  wounded  officers  was  especially 
heavy.  In  Mabry's  brigade,  Colonel  Isham  Harrison ; 
Lieutenant-Colonel  John  B.  Cage,  Fourteenth  Confed 
erate  ;  Thomas  M.  Nelson,  Sixth  Mississippi,  and 
Major  Robert  C.  McCay,  Thirty-eighth  Mississippi, 
were  killed.  In  Bell's  brigade,  Colonels  C.  R.  Barteau, 
A.  N.  Wilson,  R.  M.  Russell,  and  J.  F.  Newsom  were 


260  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

wounded,  also  Lieutenant-Colonel  Wisdom  and  Major 
Parham.  Colonel  Faulkner,  of  the  Twelfth  Kentucky, 
was  twice  wounded,  and  left  on  the  field.  Colonel 
Rucker  was  twice  wounded,  and  had  to  be  carried  away 
after  leading  his  men  to  within  fifty  yards  of  the  Fed 
eral  works.  At  least  one-third  of  his  small  brigade  was 
lost  in  killed  and  wounded  or  by  the  heat.  The  few 
Confederates  who  crossed  the  works  were  killed  or 
captured.  Lieutenant  Willie  Forrest  was  thrown  from 
his  horse  by  the  concussion  of  a  shell  which  exploded 
over  his  head,  and  had  to  be  carried  to  the  rear.  The 
section  of  Morton's  battery  commanded  by  Lieutenant 
Tully  Brown  shared  the  advance  and  losses  of  Bell's 
and  Mabry's  brigades.  Five  out  of  the  seven  gun 
ners  and  six  of  the  eight  horses  of  one  gun,  were 
struck  down,  and  Sergeant  Brown,  its  commander,  was 
three  times  wounded,  but  the  gun  was  drawn  to  the 
rear  by  the  sharpshooters  of  Captain  Titus's  company, 
and  Brown  came  out  with  it.  Another  piece  was  also 
brought  off  by  hand  after  one  of  its  wheels  had  been 
shot  away.  All  the  batteries  were  brought  into  action 
during  the  engagement,  and  handled  effectively  both  at 
the  front  and  from  long  range. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  General  Forrest  moved 
Rucker's  brigade,  now  under  Colonel  Duckworth,  from 
the  extreme  left,  with  four  pieces  of  artillery  south 
ward  on  the  Verona  road,  and  had  a  sharp  skirmish 
with  the  Federal  left,  artillery  being  freely  used  on 
both  sides.  Late  in  the  evening  the  brigade  went  into 
bivouac  three  miles  south  of  Tupelo.  Buford  was  also 
moved  in  the  same  direction  in  anticipation  of  an  at 
tack  the  next  morning. 

General  Smith  was  still  expected  to  move  toward 
Okolona  to  destroy  the  railroad  and  other  property, 
but  on  the  morning  of  the  I5th  he  decided  that  it  had 
become  a  necessity  to  return.  The  movement  was  be- 


SEVERE    REPULSE   AT  HARRISBURG.  261 

gun  about  noon.  The  retreat  was  soon  discovered,  and 
Bell's  brigade,  with  Rice's  battery,  was  ordered  to 
follow  and  press  the  rear  vigorously.  He  came  up 
with  the  rear-guard,  commanded  by  General  Mower, 
at  Old  Town  Creek,  four  miles  northwest  of  Tupelo, 
on  the  Ellistown  road,  and  made  an  attack  which  was 
repulsed  with  considerable  loss,  including  Colonel  L. 
J.  Sherrell,  of  the  Seventh  Kentucky,  killed,  and 
Colonel  Crossland,  brigade  commander,  desperately 
wounded.  Rice's  battery  also  suffered  severely.  For 
rest  came  up  with  McCulloch's  brigade  at  a  gallop,  dis 
mounted  the  force,  and  made  a  partly  successful 
charge,  in  which  he  was  painfully  wounded  in  the  right 
foot,  and  Colonel  McCulloch  wounded  in  the  shoulder. 
General  Chalmers  made  a  flank  movement  on  the  left 
with  Kelley's  regiment,  but  was  forced  to  fall  back. 
McCulloch's  attack  created  a  diversion  for  a  short  time, 
and  saved  Buford's  horses  and  artillery.  Forrest's 
wound  was  so  painful  that  he  was  obliged  to  return 
to  Tupelo  and  have  it  dressed,  leaving  Chalmers  in 
command.  General  Lee  went  to  the  front  and  ordered 
McCulloch's  brigade  to  bivouac  within  half  a  mile  of 
Town  Creek.  Buford's  division  was  close  by,  and  the 
other  commands  were  between  these  and  Tupelo.  The 
morning  of  the  i6th  found  them  all  still  greatly  ex 
hausted.  Men  and  horses  were  broken  down  after 
three  days'  hard  marching  and  fighting. 

Chalmers  was  directed  to  follow  the  Federals  with 
Rucker's  and  Roddey's  brigades  and  a  section  of  artil 
lery,  which  he  did  for  one  day  only,  and  engaged  in 
some  skirmishing.  Two  hundred  and  fifty  men  were 
detached  to  continue  the  pursuit  toward  Memphis. 
Thus  reduced,  his  command  returned  to  Tupelo.  Gen 
eral  Smith  marched  rapidly  to  Memphis  by  way  of 
Holly  Springs  ;  Mower  brought  up  the  rear.  The  main 
reason  assigned  for  the  retreat  after  repulsing  such  an 


262  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

attack,  was  shortness  of  rations,  only  one  day's  supply 
being  left.  In  his  report  General  Smith  says : 

"  We  reached  Salem  on  the  I9th,  where  we  found 
supplies  awaiting  our  arrival."  This  was  three  days 
after  the  last  brush  with  Chalmers. 

General  Forrest,  in  his  report,  says :  "  The  enemy 
continued  his  retreat,  and  was  pursued  for  two  days 
by  Rucker  and  Roddey.  My  force  during  the  engage 
ment  did  not  exceed  five  thousand  men.  The  enemy 
fought  behind  fortifications  and  in  positions  of  his  own 
selection.  Three  of  my  brigade  commanders,  Rucker, 
McCulloch,  and  Crossland,  were  seriously  wounded, 
and  a"ll  the  colonels  were  either  killed  or  wounded — 
two  hundred  and  ten  were  killed,  one  thousand  one 
hundred  and  sixteen  wounded."  A  detailed  report 
for  the  I3th,  I4th,  and  I5th  of  July,  by  commands, 
shows  losses  as  follows : 

Chalmers's  division,  killed,  57;  wounded,  255....  312 
Buford's,  including  Mabry's  brigade,  killed,  153  ; 

wounded,  798 951 

Remnant  (80)  of  Morgan's  detachment,  Kentucky 

cavalry,  killed,  5  ;  wounded,  19 24 

Morton's  artillery,  killed,  I  ;  wounded,  9 10 

Missing  from  Buford 48 

Missing  from  Morgan's  detachment 2 


Total i  ,347 

The  percentage  of  mortality  appears  greater  when 
it  is  considered  that  so  many  Confederates  in  line  of 
battle  never  fired  a  shot.  General  Lyon's  reserve  force 
of  twenty-one  hundred  men  was  not  in  range  of  the 
battle.  McCulloch's  brigade,  fourteen  hundred  strong, 
was  ordered  forward  to  take  Crossland's  place,  but  was 
not  engaged.  Roddey's  division,  fifteen  hundred,  was 
only  engaged  with  skirmishers  at  a  range  of  four  hun 
dred  yards.  Over  five  thousand  did  not  take  part  in 
this  bloody  affair. 


SEVERE    REPULSE   AT    HARRISBURG.  263 

The  losses  of  some  Confederate  commands  were 
especially  heavy.  Out  of  Crossland's  eight  hundred 
men  in  the  field,  including  horse-holders,  two  hundred 
and  seventy-six  were  killed  or  wounded ;  only  thirty 
were  reported  as  missing.  All  this  occurred  in  less  than 
an  hour  and  a  half's  actual  fighting.  Mabry's  brigade 
of  seven  hundred  and  fifty  men  in  the  charge  left  one- 
third  on  the  field  killed  and  wounded.  Such  percent 
ages  were  seldom  heard  of  except  in  a  few  of  the  great 
est  battles  of  the  war,  such  as  Gettysburg,  Chicka- 
mauga,  and  Franklin.  The  severest  loss  ever  known 
was  at  Gettysburg,  when  a  Confederate  regiment  lost 
seven  hundred  and  twenty  out  of  eight  hundred  men, 
or  ninety  per  cent. 

General  Smith  reported  his  casualties  as  nine  offi 
cers  killed  or  mortally  wounded,  sixty-nine  men  killed, 
and  five  hundred  and  fifty-eight  wounded ;  total,  six 
hundred  and  thirty-six. 


is 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

A    DARING    RAID    ON    MEMPHIS. 

GENERAL  FORREST  suffered  more  from  the  wound 
received  in  his  big  toe  at  Old  Town  Creek  on  the 
1 5th  of  July  than  from  any  of  the  numerous  injuries 
sustained  during  the  war.  For  some  weeks  before 
the  battle  of  Harrisburg  he  had  been  afflicted  with  boils 
and  other  troubles  consequent  upon  hard  fare  and  the 
great  strain  of  body  and  mind  endured  in  three  years' 
service.  He  remained  at  Tupelo  only  twenty-four 
hours  to  give  orders  as  to  the  care  of  the  wounded, 
burial  of  the  dead,  collection  of  small  arms  on  the 
battle-fields  and  the  disposition  of  troops.  No  longer 
able  to  ride  on  horseback,  he  secured  a  buggy,  and  con 
tinued  to  give  his  personal  attention  to  necessary  de 
tails.  Leaving  Brigadier-General  Chalmers  in  com 
mand,  he  went  by  rail  to  Okolona,  where  he  remained 
until  the  22d,  and  then  returned  to  Tupelo.  General 
S.  D.  Lee  was  transferred  to  Hood's  army  on  the  2Oth, 
and  General  Dabney  H.  Maury  succeeded  him  tem 
porarily.  The  troops  were  scattered :  those  in  the  State 
service  reported  to  the  Governor  of  Mississippi  at 
Jackson ;  Roddey's  division  was  sent  by  rail  to  Mont 
gomery  on  the  28th  to  meet  a  reported  invasion  in  the 
interior  of  Alabama ;  Mabry's  brigade  was  ordered  the 
same  day  to  repair  mounted  to  Canton,  Miss.,  to  assist 
in  repelling  another  Federal  movement ;  Buford  and 
Chalmers  were  sent  to  Egypt  Station  and  other  points 
in  the  neighborhood  convenient  to  forage  and  sub- 
264 


A  DARING   RAID   ON    MEMPHIS.  265 

sistence,  and  other  commands  were  also  located  with 
a  view  to  recuperation.  The  small  battalion  of  infan 
try  present  at  Harrisburg  was  returned  to  Mobile. 
Depots  for  supplies  were  established,  the  scouting  serv 
ice  was  reorganized,  fortifications  were  put  under 
construction  at  Prairie  Mound,  and  active  measures 
taken  to  remount  the  men  who  had  lost  their  .horses, 
and  to  secure  the  return  of  absentees.  General  For 
rest  returned  to  Okolona  on  the  ist  of  August,  but 
was  still  suffering  greatly. 

General  Chalmers,  on  the  ist  day  of  August,  re 
ported  to  the  chief  of  staff  of  the  department  that 
preparations  were  being  made  by  the  Federals  to  move 
from  Memphis,  Vicksburg,  and  north  Alabama  at  the 
same  time,  and,  if  successful,  to  concentrate  at  Selma, 
and  stated  that  scouts  reported  fourteen  thousand  in 
fantry  and  cavalry  already  assembled  at  La  Grange. 
"  Our  effective  force,"  he  concluded,  "  is  five  thousand 
three  hundred  and  fifty-seven,  but  we  are  very  much 
crippled  in  officers.  Both  of  my  brigade  commanders 
are  wounded,  also  a  brigade  commander  of  General 
Buford's  division,  and  most  of  the  field-officers  of  the 
command  were  either  killed  or  wounded  in  the  late 
engagement."  General  Forrest  resumed  command  on 
the  3d  of  August,  and  on  the  same  day  General  Chal 
mers  set  out  with  his  staff  escort,  Thrall's  battery, 
and  McCulloch's  brigade  through  Pontotoc  for  Ox 
ford,  about  fifty  miles  distant.  The  command  was  sup 
plied  with  one  hundred  rounds  of  ammunition  for  small 
arms,  and  two  hundred  for  the  artillery.  On  the  4th 
Neely's  brigade  was  also  despatched  toward  Oxford 
with  orders  to  impress  negroes  to  the  number  of  five 
hundred,  with  axes,  spades,  etc.,  to  construct  fortifi 
cations  at  Graysport,  Abbeville,  and  other  places  on 
the  Tallahatchie  River,  and  to  obstruct  roads  and  fords 
in  the  river  not  so  fortified.  Mabry's  brigade,  recalled 


266  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  FORREST. 

from  the  direction  of  Canton,  was  ordered  to  Grenada 
with  similar  instructions. 

General  Smith's  return  to  Memphis  claiming  a 
great  victory  over  Forrest,  but  followed  even  by  weak 
ened  Confederate  commands,  did  not  give  entire  satis 
faction  to  Grant  and  Sherman.  Forrest  was  reported 
to  be  dead  when  he  was  only  crippled  and  riding" 
around  in  an  old  buggy  with  his  foot  propped  up  on 
the  dashboard.  General  Mower  had  not  quite  killed 
Forrest,  but  he  was  promoted  to  major-general.  Sher 
man's  pledge  was  made  good.  On  the  I2th  of  April 
he  telegraphed  to  Stanton :  "  Please  convey  to  the 
President  my  thanks  for  the  commission  for  General 
Mower,  whose  task  was  to  kill  Forrest.  He  only  crip 
pled  him.  He  is  a  young  and  game  officer."  General 
Smith  soon  made  another  advance  from  Memphis, 
but  not  intending  to  go  as  far  from  his  base  as  before. 
By  the  Qth  of  August  he  had  reached  the  Tallahatchie 
River  between  Holly  Springs  and  Oxford,  and  was 
accompanied  by  Generals  Mower  and  Grierson  with  a 
force  of  ten  thousand  infantry,  four  thousand  cavalry, 
three  thousand  colored  troops  from  Memphis,  and 
three  Minnesota  regiments  sent  from  St.  Louis.  The 
cavalry  moved  across  the  country  and  the  infantry  by 
rail  as  far  as  Holly  Springs,  going  by  way  of  Grand 
Junction.  The  distance  from  Holly  Springs  to  Oxford, 
south,  was  thirty  miles,  and  the  Tallahatchie  River  was 
crossed  about  half-way  between  the  two  places.  Gen 
eral  Chalmers  destroyed  bridges  and  trestles  below 
Holly  Springs,  and  took  a  position  south  of  the  river. 
Fighting  stubbornly,  he  was  pushed  back  to  Oxford 
by  the  loth  of  August,  and  was  found  there  by  Forrest 
with  Bell's  and  Neely's  brigades  and  Morton's  artillery. 
An  advance  was  made  and  a  position  taken  at  Hurri 
cane  Creek,  eight  miles  out  from  Oxford,  and  fight 
ing  was  kept  up  almost  continuously  for  three  days. 


A  DARING   RAID   ON    MEMPHIS.  267 

On  the  morning  of  the  I3th  the  Confederates  found 
themselves  flanked  by  a  heavy  force,  and  fell  back  to 
Oxford.  Forrest  was  well  aware  before  he  left  Oko- 
lona  that  he  could  not  successfully  meet  the  forces  in 
his  front,  and  his  mind  was  busy  planning  a  counter- 
movement.  The  Federals  had  repaired  the  Mississippi 
Central  Railroad  as  far  as  Waterford,  eight  miles 
south  of  Holly  Springs.  As  early  as  the  8th  of  August 
Forrest  wrote  to  Chalmers  inquiring  as  to  the  facilities 
for  crossing  the  river  at  Panola  west  of  Oxford,  and 
the  number  of  boats  to  be  found  there.  Buford  was 
twenty-five  miles  away  on  the  right,  at  Pontotoc,  to 
guard  against  a  flank  movement  in  that  direction.  The 
way  seemed  to  be  open  on  the  extreme  left  for  a  move 
on  Memphis.  Chalmers  fell  back  across  a  swollen 
stream  a  few  miles  south  of  Oxford,  but  kept  up  demon 
strations  in  different  directions,  and  occupied  the  atten 
tion  of  the  Federals.  On  Monday,  August  I5th,  he  led 
a  detachment  of  some  two  hundred  picked  men  from 
Neely's  brigade  on  a  reconnaissance ;  drove  in  the 
enemy's  pickets  on  the  Abbeville  road,  and  dashed  into 
the  town  and  developed  a  large  infantry  force  which 
retreated  at  first  in  some  confusion,  but  was  soon  drawn 
up  in  line  of  battle.  Seeing  this,  Chalmers  withdrew 
his  little  force  without  loss.  By  the  evening  of  the 
1 7th  it  became  known  through  scouts  that  the  Federal 
commander  had  repaired  the  railroad  as  far  as  Abbe 
ville,  collected  supplies,  laid  a  pontoon  bridge  across 
the  Tallahatchie,  and  was  ready  to  advance  southward. 
Buford  was  ordered  to  repair  with  his  division  to  Ox 
ford  to  cooperate  with  Chalmers. 

Forrest  was  again  able  to  take  to  the  saddle,  but 
had  to  carry  his  foot  in  a  sling.  On  the  morning  of 
the  1 8th,  after  freely  consulting  General  Chalmers  and 
other  officers,  he  resolved  to  set  in  motion  a  carefully 
considered  plan  to  attack  Memphis.  Two  thousand  of 


268  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

the  best  men  in  Bell's  and  Neely's  brigades,  and 
Morton's  battery  of  artillery,  were  selected  for  the  ex 
pedition.  About  five  hundred  men  were  rejected  on 
account  of  their  mounts  being  too  weak  for  the  forced 
marches  before  them.  Late  in  the  afternoon  this  com 
mand  of  fifteen  hundred  men,  besides  the  staff,  escort, 
and  artillerymen,  rode  to  the  west  in  a  pelting  rain, 
which  had  been  falling  several  days.  After  hard 
riding  in  mud,  water,  and  rain  the  command  reached 
Senatobia,  in  Tate  County,  by  seven  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  the  2Oth.  One  mile  north  of  this  place  it 
became  necessary  to  construct  a  bridge  over  Hickahala 
Creek.  Forrest  sent  in  advance  a  detachment  to  cut 
down  two  trees  on  each  side  of  the  stream,  and  to 
make  cables  of  grape  and  muscadine  vines  to  be  fas 
tened  to  the  stumps  of  the  felled  trees.  A  small  ferry 
boat  was  anchored  in  the  center  of  the  stream,  and  the 
cables  rested  on  this.  Cypress  logs  were  used  to 
further  support  the  cables.  As  General  Forrest  ap 
proached  he  sent  details  to  neighboring  gin-houses  and 
cabins  to  strip  them  of  their  floors.  The  planks  were 
laid  across  the  cables,  making  a  substantial  though 
swinging  bridge,  and  the  entire  command  dismounted 
and  led  their  horses  in  columns  of  twos  over  this 
swinging,  trembling,  grape-vine  network.  Two  pieces 
of  artillery  had  been  left  at  Panola  owing  to  the  ter 
rible  condition  of  the  roads  and  great  strain  upon  the 
animals.  The  other  two  guns,  pulled  by  ten  horses 
each  up-  and  down-hill  on  the  expedition  throughout, 
were  here  unlimbered  and  carried  over  by  hand.  For 
rest,  upon  reaching  the  south  bank  of  the  creek,  lame 
as  he  was,  had  dismounted  to  direct  every  movement, 
and  even  took  part  in  tying  the  cables  to  the  stumps 
and  placing  the  planks  brought  up  by  the  troopers. 
At  the  greater  bridge  of  Lodi  he  would  have  been  one 
of  the  first  to  pass  over  as  he  was  here.  No  wonder 


A   DARING    RAID   ON    MEMPHIS.  269 

that  he  had  such  a  following!  When  once  started  the 
command  was  safely  across  in  about  an  hour.  The 
construction  of  the  improvised  bridge  occupied  even 
less  time  than  that.  Seven  miles  northward  the  head 
of  the  column  reached  Cold  water,  a  turbulent,  full 
stream  twice  as  wide  as  Hickahala  Creek.  Again  a 
ferry-boat  was  found,  and  anchored  as  a  central  float. 
Grapevines,  gin-house  floorings,  and  telegraph-poles 
were  used  without  stint  in  the  construction  of  another 
bridge  on  the  same  engineering  principle  as  the  other 
one.  In  about  three  hours  this  was  ready  also  for 
use,  and  the  passage  of  the  command  was  speedily  ac 
complished  without  a  casualty.  Forrest  pushed  on 
as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  at  sundown  on  the  2Oth 
reached  Hernando,  his  old  home,  twenty-five  miles 
south  of  Memphis,  and  rested  a  short  time  to  feed 
and  rest. 

Scouts  were  met  there  who  gave  accurate  informa 
tion  as  to  the  strength  and  position  of  troops  in  and 
around  Memphis,  for  it  might  be  said  of  Forrest  as  of 
Tamerlane  that :  "  On  all  occasions  his  march  was 
preceded  by  clouds  of  flying  scouts,  who,  piercing  the 
country  in  every  direction,  kept  him  constantly  in 
formed  as  to  its  varied  resources  and  the  dispositions 
of  the  enemy."  Fifteen  miles  farther  on  he  was  met 
by  several  citizens  who  gave  him  specific  reports,  es 
pecially  as  to  the  headquarters  of  prominent  officers 
in  Memphis.  Henderson's  famous  scouts  met  the  ad 
vance  of  the  column  at  Cane  Creek,  four  miles  south 
of  Memphis,  and  reported  the  position  of  the  pickets 
on  the  road,  and  also  stated  that  there  were  fully  five 
thousand  troops  in  and  around  the  city. 

Forrest's  plan  was  to  capture  if  possible  the  three 
generals  known  to  be  there,  and  the  troops  imme 
diately  around  them,  but  not  to  attack  Fort  Pickering, 
a  strong  and  well-garrisoned  position.  Incidentally 


2/0  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

the  troops  might  remount  and  equip  themselves,  but 
the  main  object  was  to  recall  the  movement  of  Gen 
eral  A.  J.  Smith  southward.  It  was  arranged  for 
Captain  William  H.  Forrest,  the  general's  brother, 
with  his  independent  company,  to'  lead  the  advance, 
capture  the  pickets,  rush  into  the  Gayoso  House 
and  capture  Major-General  Hurlbut  and  such  other 
officers  as  might  be  quartered  there.  Colonel  T.  H. 
Logwood,  with  a  strong  detachment  from  the  Twelfth 
and  Fifteenth  Tennessee  regiments,  was  to  follow 
Captain  Forrest  to  the  Gayoso,  and  place  details 
at  Beale  and  Main  and  Beale  and  Shelby  streets, 
just  south  of  the  hotel,  and  at  the  steamboat-landing 
at  the  foot  of  Union  Street.  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Jesse  A.  Forrest  was  to  invest  General  C.  C.  Wash- 
burn's  headquarters  on  Union  Street ;  Colonel  T.  H. 
Bell,  with  detachments  of  Newsom's,  Russell's,  and 
Barteau's  regiments,  and  two  pieces  of  Morton's  bat 
tery  under  Lieutenant  Sale,  were  to  compose  the  re 
serve  under  General  Forrest  in  the  suburbs  to  cover  the 
movement  and  the  retreat.  The  commanders  of  the 
skeleton  brigades,  regiments,  and  detachments  were 
assembled,  and  the  part  to  be  taken  by  each  one  was 
fully  explained.  Separating  in  the  darkness,  they 
formed  their  troops  into  columns  of  fours.  The  strict 
est  silence  was  enjoined  upon  all  as  being  essential 
to  the  success  of  the  daring  venture  to  be  made. 
Had  this  been  observed  the  success  of  the  first  hour 
at  least  might  have  been  more  pronounced.  A  heavy 
fog  prevailed,  and  it  was  a  damp,  sultry,  starless  night, 
propitious  for  such  work  by  well-seasoned  soldiers 
elated  by  a  spirit  of  daring  and  sense  of  danger.  Many 
of  them  were  within  rifle-shot  of  their  homes,  which 
they  had  not  seen  for  many  months. 

A  staff-officer  made  the  rounds  of  each  command 
and  reported  to  General  Forrest  that  all  were  closed  up 


A   DARING    RAID   ON    MEMPHIS.  2/1 

and  in  place.  At  3.15  A.M.  Captain  Forrest,  with 
ten  picked  men  some  sixty  paces  in  front  of  his 
company,  led  the  advance.  When  within  two  miles 
of  Court  Square  he  was  halted  by  the  sharp  chal 
lenge  of  a  picket,  and  "  Who  comes  there  ?  "  "  De 
tachment  of  the  Twelfth  Missouri  Cavalry  with  rebel 
prisoners."  "  Dismount,  and  advance  one."  Captain 
Forrest  advanced  without  dismounting,  and  struck  the 
picket  down  with  a  blow  of  his  revolver.  His  men 
who  were  close  at  his  heels,  rushed  by  and  captured 
the  picket-post,  ten  or  twelve  men,  some  forty  yards 
to  the  rear.  One  gun  was  discharged  by  a  Union  sol 
dier.  The  prisoners  were  sent  to  Captain  Forrest's 
rear,  and  he  pushed  on  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  the  next 
post,  where  he  was  greeted  by  a  volley,  but  dispersed 
the  force  encountered.  The  alarm  was  spreading,  day 
was  breaking,  and  as  the  Confederates  came  in  sight 
of  long  rows  of  tents,  they  broke  into  wild  cheering. 
Forrest  gave  the  order  to  Gaus,  his  ever-faithful  bugler, 
to  sound  the  charge,  and  at  this  the  troops  selected  for 
the  purpose,  dashed  forward  in  the  direction  of  the 
Gayoso.  Captain  Forrest  ran  into  and  dispersed  the 
gunners  of  a  battery,  but  did  not  think  to  spike  the 
pieces.  Reaching  the  Gayoso  the  captain  entered  with 
out  dismounting,  and  caused  the  house  to  be  searched 
for  officers  of  rank.  Fortunately  for  Major-General 
S.  A.  Hurlbut  he  had  not  slept  in  the  Gayoso  the  night 
before,  but  at  the  old  Duval  residence,  used  as  a 
quartermaster's  headquarters,  on  Shelby  Street.  Colo 
nel  Jesse  A.  Forrest  likewise  failed  in  his  call  for  Ma 
jor-General  Washburn  at  the  elegant  Williams  man 
sion  on  Union  Street.  Being  warned  by  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  M.  H.  Starr  of  the  Sixth  Illinois  Cavalry,  and 
the  sound  of  guns,  the  general  left  his  room  suddenly 
by  a  back  door,  and  escaped  to  Fort  Pickering,  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  away,  leaving  his  uniform  and  per- 


2/2  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

sonal  effects  behind.*  General  Buckland,  command 
ing  the  district  of  Memphis,  likewise  escaped  from 
his  residence  on  Court  Street,  and  instead  of  run 
ning  away,  took  an  active  part  in  rallying  the  avail 
able  troops  and  militia  for  defense.  The  town  was 
thrown  into  a  state  of  great  excitement.  Forrest's 
men  rushed  wildly  about  with  no  apparent  object 
in  view,  and  the  whole  population  was  soon  aroused. 
Confederate  sympathizers,  especially  women  and  chil 
dren  who  could  safely  do  so,  gave  the  invaders 
an  exultant  welcome.  The  Federals  were  forming  in 
line,  drums  were  beaten,  officers  and  couriers  flying 
hither  and  thither,  and  every  movement  punctuated  by 
the  sharp  rattle  of  small  arms  and  the  ping-ping  of 
bullets.  To  this  was  soon  added  the  heavy  boom  of 
artillery  in  the  suburbs  and  in  the  city.  Logwood's 
command,  following  Captain  Forrest,  ran  into  a  battery 
of  artillery — the  Seventh  Wisconsin  Battery,  com 
manded  by  Captain  Harry  S.  Lee  —  about  where 
Looneys  Switch  is  now  located,  the  gunners  of  which 
he  dispersed  before  they  could  fire  the  pieces  they 
were  charging;  then  he  passed  on  to  the  Gayoso. 

Neely's  command  in  the  suburbs  was  resisted  by  a 
strong  infantry  force.  Forrest  went  to  his  assistance 
with  Bell's  brigade,  and  encountered  a  cavalry  com 
mand.  The  joint  attack  was  partly  successful,  as  some 
prisoners  were  taken,  and  some  of  the  infantry  and  dis 
mounted  cavalry  were  driven  into  the  State  Female 
College,  from  which  a  white  flag  was  raised  but  pulled 


*  These  were  taken  as  trophies,  but  sent  back  that  evening 
with  the  compliments  of  General  Forrest.  In  acknowledging 
the  favor  General  Washburn  sent  out  gray  cloth  with  buttons 
and  lace  to  make  Forrest  and  his  staff  full  uniforms,  and  a 
beautiful  sword  for  Major  J.  P.  Strange,  which  is  still  preserved 
by  the  latter's  family  in  Memphis. 


A   DARING    RAID   ON    MEMPHIS.  2/3 

down  before  a  surrender  could  have  taken  place.  Skir 
mishing  followed,  and  Lieutenant  Sale  threw  some 
shells  into  the  building,  but  the  attack  was  abandoned 
as  the  place  could  not  have  been  taken  without  a 
great  sacrifice  of  life. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Logwood,  while  chatting  pleas 
antly  with  some  Federal  officers  at  the  Gayoso,  was 
warned  that  infantry  forces  were  closing  in  on  him,  and 
ordering  Captain  Hugh  D.  Greer,  of  the  Twelfth  Ten 
nessee,  to  take  the  lead,  he  and  the  two  Forrests  moved 
rapidly  under  fire  down  Beale  Street,  out  Hernando, 
near  to  the  old  Poston  place,  where  he  found  Forrest 
in  a  heavy  engagement.  Making  a  dash  to  the  right 
he  circled  around,  rejoined  Forrest,  was  in  a  skirmish 
for  an  hour  or  two,  and  then  with  the  entire  command 
fell  back  slowly  toward  Hernando.  The  Federals 
chased  some  stragglers  out  of  the  city,  and  attacked 
others  of  Forrest's  men  who  were  still  lingering  in  an 
infantry  camp.  A  detachment  of  the  Sixth  Illinois 
Cavalry,  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Starr,  made  a  vig 
orous  attack  on  the  rear-guard  commanded  by  Forrest 
in  person.  The  latter  made  a  counter-charge,  and  the 
Federal  commander  was  wounded  on  the  firing  line. 
After  this  incident  there  was  no  further  pursuit.  After 
crossing  Cane  Creek,  Forrest  sent  Major  Anderson 
with  a  flag  of  truce  and  a  despatch  to  General  Wash- 
burn  proposing  an  exchange  of  prisoners ;  also  stat 
ing  that  he  had  a  number  of  captured  officers  and  men 
who  needed  clothing.  On  the  south  side  of  Noncon- 
nah  Creek,  six  miles  south  of  the  city,  Forrest  received 
the  reply  that  Wasbburn  had  no  authority  to  exchange 
prisoners,  but  that  he  would  send  out  clothing,  which 
was  done  that  day. 

In  the  afternoon  Lieutenant-Colonel  W.  P.  Hep 
burn  and  Captain  Harry  S.  Lee,  officers  of  the  Union 
army,  who  afterward  lived  in  Memphis  and  were  very 


2/4  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

popular  with  the  old  soldiers  of  both  sides,  were  sent  out 
in  the  afternoon  under  a  flag  of  truce,  with  wagons 
and  an  abundant  supply  of  clothing  for  both  the  officers 
and  men  who  had  been  captured,  some  six  hundred  in 
number,  including  citizens.  After  these  comforts  were 
distributed,  the  prisoners  were  examined  by  surgeons, 
and  the  able-bodied  ones  mounted  on  the  led  or  super 
numerary  horses  to  accompany  the  command  south 
ward.  The  weak  and  disabled  and  all  citizens  were 
marched  back  across  Nonconnah,  and  released  under 
promise  to  observe  the  parole  of  combatants  until  reg 
ularly  exchanged.  General  Forrest  proceeded  with 
his  command  and  prisoners  to  Hernando,  reaching 
there  on  the  evening  of  the  2ist.  Before  leaving  Non 
connah  he  informed  Lieutenant-Colonel  Hepburn  and 
Captain  Lee  that  he  would  not  be  able  to  feed  the  pris 
oners,  and  wrote  to  General  Washburn  that  as  they 
could  not  be  paroled  they  should,  at  least,  be  fed,  and 
that  his  address  would  be  Hernando  for  a  few  days. 
The  next  morning,  the  22d,  these  same  officers  reached 
Hernando  with  two  wagons  well  loaded  with  supplies. 
Two  days'  rations  were  issued  to  the  prisoners,  and 
one  day's  rations  to  the  command.  Settling  down,  ap 
parently  to  stay  some  time,  Forrest  paroled  four  hun 
dred  prisoners  as  soon  as  the  Federal  officers  left  with 
their  wagons,  and  by  8  A.  M.  he  was  on  the  march  to 
Panola,  reaching  there  about  ten  o'clock  that  night. 
On  the  22d  he  went  by  rail  with  his  staff  and  escort 
and  one  section  of  Morton's  battery  with  the  expedi 
tion  to  Grenada,  where  he  established  his  headquarters. 
The  other  details  returned  to  their  respective  brigades 
and  divisions.  Major-General  C.  C.  Washburn,  in  his 
report  of  this  affair,  dated  Memphis,  September,  1864, 
gives  his  losses  in  killed,  wounded,  and  missing :  Offi 
cers  and  men  as  one  hundred  and  ninety-six,  not  in 
cluding  about  five  hundred  prisoners — one-hundred- 


A   DARING   RAID   ON    MEMPHIS.  275 

days'  men  as  well  as  citizens,  many  of  whom  belonged 
to  the  militia.* 

Brigadier-General  R.  P.  Buckland,  commanding 
the  district,  reported  Federal  losses  at  the  time  as 
officers  killed,  one  ;  wounded,  one  ;  missing,  four.  En 
listed  men  killed,  fourteen ;  wounded,  fifty-nine ;  miss 
ing,  supposed  to  be  prisoners,  one  hundred  and  twelve ; 
total,  one  hundred  and  ninety-six  (not  including  citi 
zens  and  militiamen).  General  Buckland,  in  his 
graphic  report  of  the  affair,  dated  August  24th,  says : 

"  Before  it  was  fairly  light  I  was  awakened  by 
the  sentinel  at  my  residence  by  loud  raps  at  the  front 
door,  with  the  exclamation,  '  General,  they  are  after 
you! '  I  jumped  out  of  bed,  and  asked  from  the  win 
dow,  'Who  are  after  me?'  and  was  answered,  'The 
rebels !  '  At  the  same  time  I  heard  musket  shots  in 
different  directions.  I  dressed  myself  as  speedily  as 
possible,  and  ran  to  the  barracks  on  the  corner  of 
Third  and  Jefferson  streets,  where  I  found  the  soldiers 
had  been  alarmed  and  were  collecting  in  the  street.  I 
directed  them  to  form  in  line  as  soon  as  possible,  and 
then  ran  to  the  headquarters  of  the  Second  Regiment, 
E.  M.,  to  order  the  alarm-gun  fired.  At  the  corner  of 
Third  and  Court  streets  I  met  Captain  Alfred  G. 
Tuther  and  Lieutenant  M.  T.  Williamson,  of  my 
staff,  who  informed  me  that  the  enemy  had  made  a 
demonstration  at  my  headquarters,  but  upon  being 
fired  at  by  the  sentinel  at  the  door,  killing  one  horse, 
retired  to  Main  Street.  While  I  was  giving  direc 
tions  for  the  firing  of  the  alarm-gun,  General  Charles 
W.  Dustan,  of  the  militia,  came  up  with  my  headquar 
ters  guard  and  assisted  in  firing  the  gun.  About  the 
same  time  Lieutenant-Colonel  Bell,  commanding  the 
Eighth  Iowa,  came  out  from  the  regimental  head- 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxix,  part  i,  pp.  469-471. 


276  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  FORREST. 

quarters  across  the  street,  his  companies  being  sta 
tioned  in  barracks  in  different  parts  of  the  city.  The 
alarm-gun  was  speedily  fired,  and  the  officers  and  sol 
diers  in  the  neighborhood  soon  rallied  to  the  number,  I 
should  think,  of  one  hundred  and  fifty.  Just  at  this 
time  Colonel  Starr,  of  the  Sixth  Illinois  Cavalry,  in 
formed  me  that  General  Washburn's  headquarters  were 
in  possession  of  the  enemy,  and  that  the  general  was 
undoubtedly  captured.  Scattering  shots  of  musketry 
were  continually  heard  in  different  directions.  My 
staff  and  orderlies  soon  rallied  around  me,  and  our 
horses  were  brought.  I  immediately  ordered  Gen 
eral  Dustan  to  take  charge  of  a  detachment  of  the  Irv 
ing  Block  Guards,  from  the  One  Hundred  and  Thir 
teenth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  proceed  to  Union  Street, 
east  of  General  Washburn's  quarters,  and  at  the  same 
time  directed  Lieutenant-Colonel  Bell  to  take  what 
men  he  had  got  together  and  proceed  directly  down 
Third  Street  and  attack  the  enemy  at  General  Wash- 
burn's  headquarters,  which  was  speedily  done,  myself 
and  staff  following  Colonel  Bell ;  but  the  enemy,  as 
soon  as  they  discovered  this  movement,  retreated  to 
ward  the  Hernando  road  in  great  haste,  pursued  by 
General  Dustan  and  Colonel  Bell.  It  was  supposed  that 
General  Washburn  had  been  captured  and  carried  off. 
Having  no  information  as  to  the  whereabouts,  strength, 
or  designs  of  the  enemy,  I  returned  to  my  headquarters 
and  took  immediate  measures  to  rally  and  organize  all 
the  troops  within  reach.  I  sent  Captain  Tuther  to 
watch  and  report  operations  of  the  enemy  in  the  direc 
tion  of  the  Hernando  road,  and  other  officers  in  other 
directions.  Surgeon  Rice  was  sent  to  see  whether  Colo 
nel  Kappner,  commanding  Fort  Pickering,  had  notice 
of  the  presence  of  the  enemy.  About  this  time  a  pris 
oner  was  brought  to  me  from  whom  I  learned  that  For 
rest  in  person  was  on  the  Hernando  road  with  a  large 


A   DARING   RAID   ON    MEMPHIS.  277 

force.  I  had  given  orders  for  the  concentration  of  the 
troops  stationed  north  and  east  of  the  city.  Surgeon 
Rice  soon  returned  with  the  gratifying  intelligence 
that  General  Washburn  had  made  his  escape  and  was 
safe  in  the  fort.  I  immediately  despatched  Lieutenant 
Williamson  to  inform  the  general  that  the  enemy  had 
retired  from  the  city,  and  to  receive  his  orders.  Gen 
eral  Washburn  soon  made  his  appearance,  and  assumed 
general  direction  of  affairs.  Soon  after,  by  his  direc 
tion,  I  proceeded  to  the  front  on  the  Hernando  road, 
but  before  I  reached  the  scene  of  action  fighting  had 
ceased,  the  enemy  having  retired  pursued  by  the  cav 
alry.  Various  rumors  were  afloat  as  to  the  strength 
of  the  enemy,  but  it  was  ascertained  beyond  doubt 
that  General  Forrest  was  in  command.  Dispositions 
were  therefore  made  to  meet  an  attack  from  any  direc 
tion.  Colonel  David  Moore,  of  the  Twenty—first  Mis 
souri  Infantry,  volunteered  his  services,  and  I  gave  him 
command,  temporarily,  of  all  the  forces  on  and  near  the 
Hernando  road.  Captain  Tuther  had  rendered  impor 
tant  service  in  rallying  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirty- 
seventh  Illinois,  which  had  been  thrown  into  confusion 
and  scattered  by  the  enemy  charging  through  their 
camp.  Colonel  Hoge,  commanding  First  Brigade, 
though  most  of  his  troops  were  absent  on  detached 
service,  had  reached  the  Hernando  road  with  Com 
pany  G,  Second  Missouri  Artillery,  in  position.  This 
battery,  and  also  the  section  of  Seventh  Wisconsin 
Battery,  which  the  enemy  ran  over  but  did  not  cap 
ture,  did  excellent  service.  Colonel  Buttrick,  com 
manding  Fourth  Brigade,  had  also  arrived  at  the  Her 
nando  road.  Also  the  Fortieth  Wisconsin,  Colonel 
Ray.  The  principal  part  of  the  fighting  was  done  by 
the  troops  under  Colonel  Bell,  of  the  Eighth  Iowa, 
composed  of  a  part  of  his  own  regiment  and  a  detach 
ment  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirteenth  Illinois. 


2/8  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

Being  satisfied  that  no  further  attack  would  be  made 
in  that  direction,  I  returned  to  the  city  to  look  after 
other  troops.  I  found  the  militia  out  in  strong  force, 
in  good  spirits,  and  ready  to  assist  in  defense  of  the  city 
under  the  command  of  their  deservedly  popular  general, 
Charles  W.  Dustan.  The  alacrity  with  which  the  mili 
tia  of  Memphis  turned  out  on  this  occasion  abundantly 
proves  the  propriety  and  wisdom  of  the  organization. 
Officers  and  men  of  the  command,  with  very  few  ex 
ceptions,  exhibited  great  coolness  and  bravery.  The 
Eighth  Iowa,  which  was  on  provost  duty  scattered 
through  the  city,  fought  bravely  wherever  the  enemy 
appeared.  The  track  of  the  raiders  was  marked  wher 
ever  they  went  with  their  dead  horses  and  men.  An 
attack  was  made  on  the  Irving  Block  Prison,  but  the 
guards  bravely  stood  their  ground,  and  soon  drove  the 
enemy  away.  Many  officers  temporarily  in  the  city 
and  others  on  detached  service,  promptly  volunteered 
their  services.  The  clerks  and  orderlies  about  my 
headquarters,  and  many  citizens  not  liable  to  militia 
duty,  and  unarmed  soldiers,  repaired  to  the  armory  of 
the  militia,  procured  arms,  and  joined  the  ranks.  By 
9  A.  M.  it  was  ascertained  that  Forrest  was  in  full 
retreat,  principally  on  the  Hernando  road.  He  failed 
entirely  in  the  object  of  his  expedition.  He  un 
doubtedly  expected  to  capture  General  Washbnrn, 
General  Hurlbut,  who  was  temporarily  in  the  city,  and 
myself,  and  thereby  create  such  confusion  as  to  enable 
him  to  march  into  the  city  with  his  main  force.  His 
plan  was  well  laid  and  the  moment  propitious ;  the 
morning  was  exceedingly  foggy,  and  the  state  of  the 
atmosphere  such  that  the  report  of  small  arms  and 
even  artillery  was  heard  but  a  short  distance.  Al 
though  later  in  the  morning  six  pieces  of  artillery  on 
the  Hernando  road  fired  about  thirty  rounds  each,  the 
report  was  not  heard  at  General  Washburn's  or  my 


A    DARING    RAID   ON    MEMPHIS.  279 

headquarters.  The  parties  sent  into  the  city  were  led 
by  officers  and  others  well  acquainted  with  the  city. 
They  rode  through  the  picket-line  and  camps,  cap 
turing  and  killing  what  they  could  as  they  went,  but 
making  no  halt  until  they  reached  these  points  in  the 
city.  They  passed  through  the  Seventh  Wisconsin  Bat 
tery  camp,  killing  one  officer  and  several  men  and  cap 
turing  some,  but  without  disturbing  the  guns  or  ammu 
nition,  and  these  same  guns  were  afterward  turned 
upon  them.  The  principal  depredations  were  com 
mitted  at  General  Washburn's  headquarters  and  the 
Gayoso  House,  where  they  expected  to  find  General 
Hurlbut,  and  at  the  Eclipse  stable  on  Main  Street,  where 
they  took  quite  a  number  of  horses.  .  .  .  My  thanks 
are  due  to  the  officers  of  my  staff,  to  General  Dustan, 
commanding  the  militia,  to  Colonel  Moore,  Twenty- 
first  Missouri,  who  volunteered  his  services,  and  to  the 
officers  and  men  of  my  command  generally  for  their 
prompt  and  efficient  services."* 

The  success  of  Forrest's  strategic  movement  had 
depended  not  only  upon  himself  and  the  fifteen  hun 
dred  men  he  led  to  Memphis,  but  upon  the  activity  of 
Chalmers,  who,  with  less  than  two  thousand  effectives, 
kept  up  such  a  strong  line  of  pickets  and  continuous 
maneuvering  as  if  to  take  the  aggressive,  that  the  ab- 
sense  of  his  chief  was  not  suspected  until  he  was  well 
on  his  way  back  from  Memphis. 

Chalmers  had  made  spirited  attacks  on  the  enemy's 
outposts  on  the  iQth,  and  being  reenforced  by  Buford, 
again  advanced  four  miles  in  front  of  Oxford  on  the 
2oth,  and  had  a  sharp  fight,  only  to  be  forced  back. 
On  the  2 ist  he  renewed  skirmishing,  but  being  flanked 
by  a  strong  body  of  Federal  cavalry  was  compelled  to 
retreat  by  two  small  bridges  across  the  Yocona  south 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xxxix,  part  i,  pp.  472-475. 
19 


280  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

of  Oxford.  On  the  22d  the  town  was  occupied  by  a 
large  Federal  force  of  infantry  and  cavalry,  and  in  the 
afternoon  the  court-house,  other  public  buildings, 
halls,  and  many  private  residences,  including  the  ele 
gant  mansion  owned  by  Hon.  Jacob  Thompson,  and 
then  occupied  by  his  wife,  were  burned.  After  that 
the  Federal  commander  began  to  retreat  toward  Holly 
Springs,  and  reached  that  place  at  ten  o'clock  the  next 
day.  Chalmers  followed  with  two  columns  and  Wal 
ton's  battery,  and  attacked  the  rear-guard  at  Abbe 
ville  on  the  23d,  but  suffered  severely  and  was  obliged 
to  fall  back  behind  Hurricane  Creek.  The  troops  and 
horses  were  jaded  from  twenty  days'  hard  service, 
the  ammunition  was  damp  and  running  short,  and 
there  was  dissatisfaction  among  his  men.  General  For 
rest  ordered  Chalmers  to  return  to  the  south  of  Yocona, 
leaving  scouts  to  watch  the  enemy,  and  three  regi 
ments  on  an  outpost  some  miles  south  of  Oxford  at 
the  point  Breached  by  trains  on  the  Mississippi  Central 
Railroad. 

General  Washburn  on  the  24th  of  August  reported 
to  General  Canby  as  to  the  movement  on  Memphis: 
"  They  were  driven  out  of  the  city,  taking  about  twen 
ty-five  horses  and  the  horses  belonging  to  one  section 
of  the  battery.  We  had  about  thirty  killed  and  eighty 
wounded.  Smith  was  instructed  to  send  fifteen  hun 
dred  cavalry  at  once  to  Panola  and  hold  the  crossing, 
and  come  around  in  Forrest's  rear.  .  .  .  Smith  has 
four  or  five  thousand  cavalry  with  him,  and  in  the 
exhausted  condition  of  Forrest's  men  and  horses, 
it  would  seem  that  if  our  cavalry  does  its  duty  they 
should  not  get  away."  Forrest,  however,  had  taken  the 
precaution  to  have  the  telegraph-wires  cut  between 
Collierville  and  Germantown,  and  repairs  were  not 
made  until  noon  the  next  day.  Then  the  despatch  to 
Smith  was  sent  south  from  La  Grange  with  an  escort 


A   DARING   RAID   ON    MEMPHIS.  28l 

of  one  hundred  men,  and  reached  him  in  the  forenoon 
of  the  22d.  For  some  reason  General  Smith  advanced 
only  to  Oxford,  and  made  no  attempt  to  intercept  For 
rest.  In  another  despatch  Washburn  said :  "  The 
enemy  has  retired  on  the  Hernando  road.  He  has  five 
hundred  prisoners,  but  failed  to  take  the  battery."  Add 
ing  the  number  of  prisoners  taken  to  the  killed  and 
wounded  the  Federal  loss  in  the  Memphis  affair  seems 
to  have  been  about  six  hundred  and  fourteen.  Some 
of  the  prisoners,  however,  were  non-combatants. 

General  Maury  telegraphed  to  Forrest :  "  You 
have  again  saved  Mississippi.  Come  and  help  Mobile. 
Fort  Morgan  was  captured  by  the  enemy  yesterday. 
.  .  .  We  are  very  weak."  This  bold  dash  into  Mem 
phis  stopped  the  Federal  advance  into  the  heart  of 
Mississippi,  for  the  time  being,  and  materially  changed 
the  plans  of  leaders  on  both  sides.  Memphis  did  not 
recover  from  the  excitement  for  many  days,  and 
greater  precautions  than  ever  were  taken  to  guard 
against  surprise.  The  place,  however,  was  never  again 
so  disturbed,  or  counted  as  a  storm-center  of  the  war. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

FORREST'S  COMMAND  REORGANIZES. — SUDDEN  AND  SUC 
CESSFUL  MOVE  THROUGH  NORTH  ALABAMA  INTO 
MIDDLE  TENNESSEE. JOHNSONVILLE. 

FORREST'S  cavalry  was  speedily  reorganized  and 
every  possible  preparation  made  for  active  service. 
Chalmers's  division  was  composed  of  McCulloch's  and 
Rucker's,  formerly  Neely's,  brigades,  both  of  these  offi 
cers  having  recovered  from  their  wounds  sufficiently 
to  take  the  field.  Buford's  division  was  constituted 
of  Lyon's  and  Bell's  brigades ;  Chalmers  was  quartered 
at  Water  Valley,  on  the  Mississippi  Central,  eighteen 
miles  south  of  Oxford,  and  Buford  at  and  near  Ox 
ford.  One  regiment,  the  Fifth  Mississippi  of  McCul 
loch's  brigade,  Chalmers's  division,  was  sent  to  Mobile 
on  the  3d  of  September,  and  was  detached  for  six 
months.  On  the  4th  of  September  Forrest  left  Grenada 
under  orders  with  his  staff  and  escort  by  way  of  Jack 
son,  and  thence  to  Meridian,  expecting  to  take  part  in 
the  defense  of  Mobile. 

Before  leaving  Grenada  General  Forrest  had,  on 
the  3Oth  of  August,  1864,  issued  General  Order  No.  73. 
organizing  "  Rucker's  brigade,"  to  be  composed  of 
the  Seventh  Regiment,  Twenty-sixth  Battalion — or 
Forrest's  old  regiment,  also  known  as  McDonald's 
battalion — and  the  Twelfth,  Fourteenth,  and  Fifteenth 
regiments,  all  being  Tennessee  troops.  Colonel  E. 
W.  Rucker  was  assigned  permanently  to  command 
the  brigade,  and  this  raised  a  storm  of  indignation 
282 


FORREST'S   COMMAND    REORGANIZES.          283 

among  the  field-officers,  several  of  whom  refused  to 
recognize  the  order,  or  orders  from  Colonel  Rucker. 
Not  that  this  officer's  courage  or  ability  was  ques 
tioned,  but  because  he  was  not  the  senior  officer  of 
the  brigade,  Colonel  Neely  holding  that  rank.  Sev 
eral  of  them  appealed  to  General  Chalmers,  command 
ing  the  division,  and  he  warned  them  in  a  letter  dated 
at  West  Point,  September  I2th,  that  they  were  guilty 
of  insubordination,  and  would  get  into  serious  trou 
ble.  But  they  held  out  stubbornly  until  Forrest's  iron 
will  came  into  play.  He  made  a  speech  to  the  brigade 
that  night,  in  which  he  clearly  and  defiantly  asserted 
his  authority  and  determination  to  be  obeyed. 

The  next  day  he  had  the  following  officers  ar 
rested  and  sent  to  Mobile  under  charges  for  trial  by 
court  martial :  Colonel  W.  L.  Duckworth,  Seventh 
Tennessee;  Colonel  J.  J.  Neely,  Fourteenth  Tennes 
see  ;  Colonel  F.  M.  Stewart,  Fifteenth  Tennessee ; 
Colonel  J.  U.  Green,  Twelfth  Tennessee,  and  Major 
Philip  T.  Allin,  of  McDonald's  battalion,  or  Forrest's 
old  regiment.  These  were  good  officers,  but  Forrest 
had  a  preference  and  would  tolerate  no  captious  dis 
obedience  of  his  orders.  None  of  them  returned  to 
their  commands  until  they  reported  at  Gainesville,  Ala., 
in  May  the  following  year  to  be  paroled.  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  W.  F.  Taylor  assumed  command  of  the  Sev 
enth  Tennessee,  and  so  continued,  except  when  dis 
abled  by  wounds,  until  the  surrender,  and  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  D.  C.  Kelley  continued  in  command  of  For 
rest's  old  regiment.  Forrest's  action  in  this  matter 
was  fully  sustained  in  orders  issued  from  the  War  De 
partment  at  Richmond. 

Reaching  Meridian  on  the  5th,  he  met  General 
Richard  Taylor,  a  brother-in-law  of  Jefferson  Davis, 
who  had  just  succeeded  General  Maury  in  command 
of  the  department.  It  was  their  first  meeting.  Forrest 


284  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

was  informed  that  he  would  not  be  needed  just  then 
at  Mobile,  but  must  go  to  the  relief  of  Hood's  army 
and  move  his  cavalry  north  of  the  Tennessee  River  to 
worry  Sherman's  rear.  He  asked  many  questions  as 
to  supplies,  resources,  details,  line  of  retreat,  etc.,  as 
though  in  doubt  in  regard  to  the  undertaking,  and 
then  suddenly  asked  for  an  engine  to  carry  him  twenty 
miles  back  up  the  railroad  to  meet  his  troops.  After 
that  he  threw  himself  entirely  into  his  work.  Buford's 
division  was  ordered  to  Verona,  where  Forrest  made 
his  headquarters  for  about  two  weeks.  Chalmers  was 
ordered  to  take  command  at  Grenada  of  all  troops  not 
to  accompany  the  expedition.  Bell's,  Lyon's,  and 
Rucker's  brigades  were  concentrated  at  Verona.  Ne 
groes  were  impressed,  and  under  guard  of  dismounted 
men  used  to  rapidly  repair  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  Rail 
road  to  Corinth.  General  Roddey  was  instructed 
through  a  courier  to  repair  the  Memphis  and  Charleston 
Railroad  from  Corinth  to  Cherokee  Station,  near  the 
State  line  of  Mississippi  and  Alabama.  Everything 
being  in  readiness,  Forrest  moved  from  Verona  on  the 
1 6th  of  September  with  three  thousand  five  hundred 
and  forty-two  effectives,  and,  after  repairing  numerous 
bridges  and  trestles  on  the  railroad,  reached  Corinth 
on  the  evening  of  the  I7th.  There  his  trains  were 
transferred  to  the  Memphis  and  Charleston  Railroad, 
and  the  advance  was  resumed  the  next  morning.  His 
men  cut  wood  for  the  locomotive  and  filled  the  boilers 
with  water  brought  in  buckets.  Such  were  the  exigen 
cies  and  resources  of  this  suddenly  improvised  move 
ment. 

On  the  evening  of  the  ipth  these  four  trains  reached 
Cherokee  Station,  where  Roddey's  command  was  found 
in  good  condition.  Some  troops,  with  the  horses  of 
Morton's  and  Walton's  batteries,  with  Forrest's  staff 
and  part  of  his  escort,  marched  across  the  country 


FORREST'S   COMMAND   REORGANIZES.          285 

from  Verona,  and  reached  the  station  on  the  same  day. 
The  whole  command  remained  a  day  at  this  point  to 
cook  rations  and  to  have  their  horses  shod.  Forrest's 
command,  including  a  battalion  of  dismounted  men 
and  exclusive  of  Roddey's  force,  numbered  three  thou 
sand  rank  and  file.  On  the  morning  of  the  2ist  the  ad 
vance  was  moved  to  Colberts  Ferry,  on  the  Tennessee 
River,  seven  miles  northeast  of  Cherokee.  The  river 
at  this  point  was  two  thousand  yards  wide  in  a  direct 
line,  but  the  ford  was  tortuous  through  ledges  and 
fissures  in  the  rugged  rocks,  and  was  accomplished 
with  much  danger  and  difficulty.  The  column  formed 
by  twos  and  led  by  competent  guides  was  safely  crossed 
in  a  few  hours  without  a  casualty,  and  camped  that 
night  within  two  miles  of  Florence.  Roddey's  com 
mand,  fifteen  hundred  strong,  crossed  at  Bainbridge 
and  joined  Forrest  on  the  22d.  The  general,  however, 
was  sick,  and  remained  at  Tuscumbia,  leaving  the 
command  of  his  brigade  to  Colonel  William  A.  John 
son. 

The  whole  force,  not  forty-five  hundred  strong, 
moved  forward  rapidly  and  reached  the  suburbs  of 
Athens,  Ala.,  on  the  Nashville  and  Decatur  Railroad, 
at  sunset  on  the  23d  of  September.  This  was  a  strongly 
fortified  and  important  point.  The  appearance  of  For 
rest  was  such  a  surprise  that  the  cavalry  in  front  was 
forced  to  seek  safety  in  a  fort  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
south  of  the  town,  leaving  about  one  hundred  horses 
and  equipments  in  the  hands  of  the  Confederates.  The 
encampments  were  occupied,  and  three  sides  of  the 
fort  invested,  and  the  artillery  was  placed  in  advan 
tageous  positions  commanding  the  redoubt.  That  night 
Forrest  so  placed  his  different  commands  as  to  make 
a  strong  display  of  force.  Early  next  morning  his 
artillery  opened  fire  at  a  distance  of  eight  hundred 
yards,  and  skirmishers  advanced  to  within  one  hun- 


286  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

dred  and  fifty  yards  of  the  Federal  trenches,  and  the 
dismounted  cavalry  was  moved  up  as  if  ready  for  a 
general  assault.  At  10  A.  M.  on  the  24th,  Major  Strange 
and  Captain  Porter  were  sent  forward  under  a  flag 
of  truce  with  the  following  note: 

HEADQUARTERS'FORREST'S  CAVALRY,  IN  THE  FIELD, 
September  24,   1864. 

Officer  Commanding  United  States  Forces,  Athens,  Ala.: 

I  demand  an  immediate  and  unconditional  surrender 
of  the  entire  force  and  all  Government  stores  and  property 
at  this  post.  I  have  a  sufficient  force  to  storm  and  take 
your  works,  and  if  I  am  forced  to  do  so  the  responsibility 
of  the  consequences  must  rest  with  you.  Should  you, 
however,  accept  the  terms,  all  white  soldiers  shall  be  treat 
ed  as  prisoners  of  war  and  the  negroes  returned  to  their 
masters.  A  reply  is  requested  immediately. 
Respectfully, 

N.  B.  FORREST,   Major-General. 

This  demand  was  promptly  refused.  General  For 
rest  then  requested  an  interview  with  the  Federal  com 
mander  at  any  point  he  might  designate  outside  of  the 
fort.  Colonel  Wallace  Campbell,  of  the  One  Hundred 
and  Tenth  Colored  Infantry,  was  in  command,  and 
granted  the  interview,  taking  with  him  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  J.  A.  Dewey.  Forrest  told  him  that  he  was 
determined  to  take  the  place ;  that  he  had  ample  force, 
and  demanded  the  surrender  as  a  matter  of  humanity, 
and  offered  Colonel  Campbell  the  privilege  of  inspect 
ing  his  forces.  After  consulting  his  officers,  the  colo 
nel  and  Captain  B.  M.  Callender,  of  his  staff,  rode 
around  the  lines  with  Forrest,  and  was  convinced  that 
the  fort  was  invested  by  fully  eight  thousand  men  of  all 
arms,  and  as  expected  reenforcements  from  Decatur 
had  not  arrived,  he  decided  to  surrender.  The  Con 
federate  force  had  been  manipulated  both  as  cavalry 


FORREST'S   COMMAND   REORGANIZES.          287 

and  infantry,  and  made  to  appear  about  double  its  real 
strength.  The  garrison,  fourteen  hundred  strong, 
stacked  arms  and  was  marched  out  at  n  A.  M.  The 
officers  were  allowed  to  retain  all  personal  property, 
including  horses,  saddles,  and  side-arms,  and  were  to 
be  paroled  as  soon  as  Forrest  could  communicate  with 
Washburn.  The  place  might  have  been  taken  by  storm, 
but  not  without  heavy  loss  of  life. 

Meantime  the  reenforcements  under  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Elliott,  One  Hundred  and  Second  Ohio,  four 
hundred  strong,  from  Decatur,  had  reached  a  point 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  south  of  the  fort,  and  made  a 
desperate  effort  to  cut  their  way  through  the  lines 
commanded  by  Colonel  Jesse  Forrest  and  Lieutenant- 
Colonels  Logwood  and  D.  C.  Kelley,  and  several  men 
were  killed  and  wounded.  Colonel  Forrest  was  one 
of  the  severely  wounded.  While  the  fight  was  still 
raging,  reenforcements  from  Forrest's  main  command 
arrived,  and  the  Federals  surrendered  when  surround 
ed  in  the  open  field  after  a  most  gallant  fight  in  which 
Colonel  Elliott  was  mortally  Bounded.  There  were 
still  two  blockhouses  in  sight  to  be  reduced.  One  gar 
rison  consisted  of  eighty-five  officers  and  men,  and  was 
surrendered  without  resistance.  The  other  was  only 
half  a  mile  away,  and  the  officer  in  charge  determined 
that  he  would  die  before  he  would  capitulate.  Mor 
ton  brought  up  four  of  his  3-inch  rifled  guns  and 
opened  fire  at  a  distance  of  three  hundred  yards.  The 
shells  cleft  through  the  heavy  timbers  at  the  first  vol 
ley  and  exploded  within,  killing  six  men  and  wound 
ing  three.  The  heroic  commander,  realizing  his  mis 
take,  rushed  out  with  a  white  flag  and  tendered  his 
surrender  to  General  Forrest  in  person.  The  garri 
son  numbered  only  thirty-five  officers  and  men. 

The  aggregate  of  prisoners  taken  in  and  around 
Athens  that  day  was  thus  about  nineteen  hundred. 


288  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

The  spoils  were  rich  and  abundant,  and  filled  twenty 
captured  wagons  besides  four  or  five  ambulances.  The 
staff-officers  made  careful  selection  of  rations,  medical 
stores  and  instruments,  and  ammunition.  Four  pieces 
of  artillery,  including  two  12-pound  howitzers,  were 
captured,  and  five  hundred  horses  and  two  locomotives 
attached  to  trains  loaded  with  Government  stores. 
Everything  that  could  be  utilized  at  once  was  dis 
tributed  among  the  soldiers  in  gray,  and  the  four  hun 
dred  dismounted  men  under  Colonel  Barrett  were  sup 
plied  with  horses  and  equipments.  Stores  that  could 
not  be  removed  or  turned  to  some  account  were  burned, 
together  with  the  blockhouses,  buildings  used  for  mili 
tary  purposes,  depots,  bridges,  and  trestles.  The  Fed 
erals  lost  about  forty  killed  and  one  hundred  wounded. 
The  Confederate  losses  were  reported  as  five  killed  and 
twenty-five  wounded.  The  prisoners  and  artillery  cap 
tured  and  a  long,  well-loaded  wagon-train  were  started 
toward  Florence  at  five  o'clock  that  afternoon  under 
a  strong  escort  commanded  by  Colonel  Nixon.  At  the 
same  hour  Forrest  moved  northward  with  his  main 
command,  making  eight  miles  by  dusk.  On  the  way 
two  other  blockhouses  with  seventy  officers  and  men 
were  captured  without  the  firing  of  a  gun,  and  the 
bridges  as  well  as  houses  they  guarded  were  burned. 
Dr.  J.  P.  Alban,  assistant  surgeon  of  the  One  Hun 
dred  and  Second  Ohio,  was  left  by  General  Forrest  in 
charge  of  the  wounded  at  Athens. 

On  the  morning  of  the  25th  the  command  was 
advanced  three  miles  from  the  bivouac  to  Sulphur 
Springs  trestle.  This  was  a  costly  and  important  link 
in  the  railroad  line  connecting  Nashville  and  Decatur. 
It  spanned  a  ravine  seventy  feet  deep  and  four  hundred 
feet  wide  from  hill  to  hill.  There  was  a  strong  block 
house  at  each  end  and  a  fort  on  an  eminence  near  by. 
garrisoned  by  about  four  hundred  white  troops — the 


FORREST'S   COMMAND   REORGANIZES.          289 

Third  Tennessee  Federal  Cavalry — and  six  hundred 
colored  infantry.  Forrest  placed  his  best  long-range 
guns  on  an  elevation  and  opened  fire  at  once  on  the 
Federal  defense,  and  the  lines  were  advanced  on  all 
sides.  Then  a  demand  was  made  for  surrender,  which, 
after  an  hour's  delay,  was  positively  refused.  Firing 
was  resumed  with  terrible  effect  from  four  different 
points.  The  Federals  responded  briskly  with  two  12- 
pound  howitzers,  but  these  were  soon  silenced,  and  the 
Confederate  shells  continued  to  explode  in  the  midst 
of  a  now  demoralized  and  almost  unresisting  garrison, 
but  no  offer  was  made  to  surrender. 

Forrest  again  ordered  the  firing  to  cease,  and  sent 
Major  Strange  forward  with  a  demand  for  capitulation, 
which  was  conceded  at  once.  Colonel  Lathrop,  in  com 
mand,  was  killed  early  in  the  fight,  and  was  succeeded 
by  Lieutenant-Colonel  J.  B.  Minnis,  of  the  Tennessee 
Cavalry.  The  Federals  lost  about  two  hundred  officers 
and  men,  all  found  in  very  narrow  areas.  The  prison 
ers — some  eight  hundred  and  twenty  in  number,  offi 
cers  and  men — were  turned  over  to  Lieutenant-Colo 
nel  Logwood  and  sent  south.  At  the  same  time  For 
rest  sent  back  to  Florence,  and  across  the  Tennessee 
River,  four  pieces  of  his  own  artillery  and  the  captured 
guns  and  wagon-train.  Eight  hundred  rounds  of  artil 
lery  ammunition  had  been  fired  at  the  Sulphur  Springs 
trestle  defenses  alone,  which  left  a  short  supply.  The 
great  trestle  was  cut  down  and  burned  on  the  26th. 

General  Buford  was  ordered  to  follow  the  line  of 
the  railroad  northward  to  Elk  River,  and  destroyed  a 
blockhouse  on  the  way  as  well  as  the  bridge  at  Elk 
River  and  the  long  trestle  by  which  it  was  approached, 
and  a  large  quantity  of  cord-wood.  Moving  on  to 
Richland  Creek  a  few  miles,  Buford  captured  another 
blockhouse  with  about  fifty  men.  On  the  27th  Forrest 
was  moving  toward  Pulaski  with  about  thirty-three 


2QO  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

hundred  men,  now  all  well  mounted,  and  soon  encoun^ 
tered  a  heavy  force  supposed  to  be  six  thousand  strong. 
A  heavy  skirmish  ensued,  the  escort,  sixty  strong,  lead 
ing  as  usual.  A  position  was  gained,  but  at  the  loss 
of  seven  or  eight  in  killed  and  wounded.  Colonel  John 
son  was  dangerously  wounded,  and  Lieutenant  John 
Moore,  of  the  Fourth  Alabama,  was  killed.  The  Fed 
erals  fell  back,  fighting  stubbornly  for  some  miles,  and 
made  a  determined  stand  within  three  miles  of  Pu- 
laski,  and  after  further  resistance,  during  which  For 
rest  turned  a  dangerous  flank  movement  with  his  artil 
lery,  the  Union  troops  fell  back  into  the  town  and 
behind  the  breastworks. 

A  demonstration  was  kept  up  all  the  afternoon  in 
front,  and  after  dark  the  Confederates  built  long  lines 
of  camp-fires,  and  Colonel  Wheeler,  with  three  hun 
dred  men,  was  ordered  around  to  the  north  of  the  town 
to  destroy  the  railroad  and  telegraph-lines  between 
Pulaski  and  Columbia,  and  incidentally  burned  a  large 
supply  of  wood  intended  for  the  use  of  locomotives. 
Forrest's  loss  that  day  was  about  one  hundred,  and  he 
found  that  he  could  advance  no  farther  against  Gen 
eral  Rousseau's  strong  force.  That  night,  leaving 
pickets  and  rear-guard  to  watch  the  enemy,  he  fell 
back  eight  miles  and  bivouacked  until  morning.  On 
the  28th,  after  a  march  of  nearly  forty  miles  in  the  rain, 
he  reached  Fayetteville  and  at  once  sent  two  detach 
ments  eastward  to  cut  telegraph-wires  and  tear  up 
tracks  on  the  Nashville  and  Chattanooga  Railroad  at 
points  north  and  south  of  Tullahoma.  The  next  day 
he  advanced  to  within  fifteen  miles  of  Tullahoma  and 
there  learned  from  scouts  that  large  forces,  including 
those  recently  left  entrenched  at  Pulaski,  were  advan 
cing  to  meet  him.  His  men  were  growing  weary  and 
their  horses  were  footsore  and  fatigued.  A  prompt 
change  of  plans  was  necessary.  General  Buford  was 


FORREST'S   COMMAND   REORGANIZES.          2QI 

detached  with  fifteen  hundred  men  with  orders  to  move 
upon  Huntsville,  seize  that  place,  if  possible,  destroy 
the  railroad  to  Decatur,  and  cross  the  Tennessee  River 
at  or  near  that  point.  Buford's  command  consisted  of 
a  portion  of  his  division  and  Kelley's  and  Johnson's 
brigades. 

General  Forrest,  placing  himself  at  the  head  of  his 
remaining  fifteen  hundred  men,  including  Lyon's  and 
Bell's  brigades,  the  Seventh  Tennessee,  and  his  own  old 
regiment,  moved  westward  to  the  right  of  Shefbyville, 
reached  Lewisburg  by  a  circuitous  route  at  twelve 
o'clock  on  the  3<Dth  of  September,  and  encamped  on  the 
north  bank  of  Duck  River  that  night.  The  next  day 
he  reached  Spring  Hill,  captured  some  Government 
horses  and  wagons,  and  for  a  time  had  possession  of 
the  telegraph-ofrice,  through  which  he  received  impor 
tant  information  in  regard  to  the  movement  of  troops 
sent  to  cut  off  his  retreat;  and  from  one  despatch  he 
learned  that  General  Steedman  was  marching  with  a 
heavy  column  on  Huntsville.  Gathering  all  the  news 
he  could  from  intercepted  despatches,  he  sent  a  few  of 
a  misleading  character  in  the  name  of  a  Federal  officer 
to  General  Rousseau  in  regard  to  Confederate  move 
ments,  and  at  2  p.  M.  set  out  in  the  direction  of  Colum 
bia.  Twelve  miles  from  that  place  he  captured  four 
blockhouses  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  men.  These 
houses,  a  Government  sawmill,  and  three  railroad 
bridges  were  burned.  The  commander  of  another 
blockhouse  overlooking  a  ridge  refused  to  surrender, 
and  as  Forrest  had  no  artillery  with  him,  all  he  could 
do  was  to  call  for  volunteers  to  burn  the  bridge.  This 
was  accomplished  without  the  loss  of  a  man. 

Columbia  being  well  garrisoned,  was  passed  around 
on  the  2d  of  October,  the  command  skirmishing  sharply 
and  meantime  burning  more  trestles  and  bridges,  and 
collecting  cattle  and  commissary  supplies.  The  aim 


2Q2  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

now  was  to  effect  a  junction  with  Buford,  who  had  not 
been  able  to  capture  Huntsville,  but  was  crossing  his 
artillery,  cattle,  and  trains  at  different  points.  Reach 
ing  Florence  on  the  5th,  Forrest  found  it  necessary  to 
hasten  on  to  Colberts  Ferry,  where  he  found  only  three 
small  ferry-boats  and  some  skiffs  to  use  in  crossing  a 
now  greatly  swollen  river.  The  weaker  men  and 
horses,  the  ammunition,  guns,  and  saddles  were  given 
the  preference,  but  the  process  was  painfully  slow. 
On  the  6th  it  was  learned  that  the  Federals  had  ar 
rived  in  two  columns  at  Athens,  and  a  force  was  sent 
back  to  engage  them.  Lieutenant-Colonel  F.  M. 
Windes,  with  the  Fourth  Alabama,  two  hundred 
strong,  made  a  flank  movement  on  the  Lawrenceburg 
road  and  greatly  retarded  the  Federals  in  reaching 
Florence  the  morning  of  the  8th.  The  Second,  Sev 
enth,  and  Sixteenth  Tennessee  regiments  repulsed 
their  advance  at  the  crossing  of  Cypress  Creek,  west 
of  Florence,  and  General  Steedman  found  it  necessary 
to  detach  a  brigade  of  cavalry  and  send  it  around  by  a 
crossing  three  miles  above. 

After  that  the  Confederates  taken  in  reverse  re 
tired  from  point  to  point  on  the  Newport  Ferry  road. 
About  twelve  thousand  Federals  were  now  within  a 
few  miles  of  the  ferries  by  which  Forrest's  men  were 
escaping,  and  over  one  thousand  Confederates  were  yet 
on  the  north  bank  of  the  river,  besides  Windes's  men 
and  the  Sixteenth  Tennessee  and  a  detachment  from 
the  Seventh  Tennessee  Cavalry.  A  few  miles  below 
Colberts  Ferry  was  an  island  covered  with  cane  and 
a  forest-growth,  and  the  northern  bank  was  not  more 
than  two  hundred  yards  from  the  main  shore,  which  had 
a  perpendicular  height  above  the  water  of  about  twenty 
feet.  Forrest  had  Windes  keep  up  the  skirmishing 
while  he  caused  the  ferry-boats  to  drop  down  the  river 
to  the  head  of  this  island.  There  the  saddles  and  other 


FORREST'S   COMMAND    REORGANIZES.          293 

equipments  were  stripped  from  the  horses,  tumbled 
into  the  boats,  and  ferried  across.  The  horses  were 
pushed  over  the  steep  banks  and  dropped  into  the 
river,  and  then  caught  by  men  in  skiffs  and  made  to 
swim  across  to  the  island.  This  was  all  done  in  an 
incredibly  short  space  of  time,  but  none  too  soon.  For 
rest  in  person  looked  after  the  last  troopers  crossing. 
The  skirmishing  forces  were  directed  to  scatter  and 
cross  where  they  could.  The  Federals  soon  appeared 
on  the  banks  north  of  the  densely  wooded  island,  but 
made  no  attempt  to  follow  the  Confederates,  who  re 
mained  concealed  there  until  they  could  cross  the  wider 
channel  southward. 

It  was  cold  weather,  but  no  fires  were  permitted  to 
be  lighted.  By  sunset  on  the  Qth  the  entire  command 
was  safely  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  except 
Windes's  and  Wilson's  commands,  which  effected  a  pas 
sage  at  Newport  on  the  I3th  and  brought  off  fifty  pris 
oners.  In  this  last  and  most  masterly  retreat  Forrest 
conducted  in  person  the  crossing  of  twenty-five  hun 
dred  men  and  their  horses  to  the  south  bank  of  the 
Tennessee  River,  about  one  hundred  head  of  cattle 
and  eight  pieces  of  artillery,  and  crossed  himself  sev 
eral  times  from  one  side  to  the  other.  His  losses  were 
two  men  and  twenty  horses  drowned.  Had  he  re 
mained  in  Middle  Tennessee  only  a  few  days  longer  his 
military  career  would  have  been  at  an  end.  Troops 
had  been  ordered  to  be  concentrated  on  him  from  sev 
eral  directions,  even  from  Georgia.  Generals  Thomas, 
Rousseau,  A.  J.  Smith,  Washburn,  Granger,  Webster, 
Croxton,  Steedman,  and  others  were  notified  of  his 
movements,  and  but  for  his  presence  of  mind  and  au 
dacity  he  would  not  have  escaped.  Thirty  thousand 
troops  could  have  been  brought  into  the  field  against 
this  little  improvised  expedition  of  less  than  five  thou 
sand  men. 


2Q4  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

The  main  command  was  concentrated  again  at  Cher 
okee  Station  on  the  6th  of  October  after  an  absence 
of  only  fifteen  days.  General  Forrest  lost  during  this 
raid  forty-seven  men  killed  and  two  hundred  and  nine 
ty-three  wounded ;  total,  three  hundred  and  forty.  In 
his  official  report  he  stated  that  he  captured  eighty-six 
commissioned  officers,  sixty-seven  Government  em 
ployees,  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  seventy-four 
non-commissioned  officers  and  privates,  nine  hundred 
and  thirty-three  negroes,  besides  killing  and  wounding 
about  one  thousand  more,  an  aggregate  of  three  thou 
sand  three  hundred  and  sixty,  and  besides  this,  cap 
tured  eight  hundred  horses  and  eight  pieces  of  artil 
lery,  two  thousand  stands  of  small  arms,  several  hun 
dred  saddles,  fifty  wagons  and  ambulances,  and  a  large 
amount  of  medical,  commissary,  and  Government 
stores,  as  well  as  destroying  the  railroad,  with  the  ex 
ception  of  Duck  River  bridge,  from  Decatur  to  Spring 
Hill.  Acknowledgments  were  made  to  members  of 
his  personal  staff:  Major  J.  P.  Strange,  assistant  ad 
jutant-general;  Major  C.  W.  Anderson,  acting  assist 
ant  adjutant-general ;  Colonel  R.  W.  Pitman,  assist 
ant  inspector-general;  Major  G.  V.  Rambaut,  com 
missary,  and  Captain  M.  C.  Gallaway,  aide-de-camp ; 
and  thanks  expressed  to  Captain  Thomas  Robins  and 
Lieutenant  J.  N.  Davis,  who  were  attached  to  the 
staff  during  the  expedition. 

Meantime  General  Chalmers  had  not  been  idle,  for 
at  an  opportune  time,  while  his  chief  was  in  Middle 
Tennessee,  he  made  a  demonstration  from  the  south 
on  Memphis  with  about  one  thousand  men,  spreading 
the  report  that  this  was  but  the  advance  of  a  large 
force  intended  for  the  capture  of  the  place.  This  was 
merely  a  diversion,  but  it  had  the  effect  of  delaying  the 
departure  of  troops  ready  to  go  up  the  river  and 
around  by  way  of  Johnsonville  to  Nashville. 


FORREST'S   COMMAND   REORGANIZES.          295 

Learning  that  a  flotilla  was  coming  up  the  river 
with  reenforcements  intended  for  General  Rousseau, 
Forrest  ordered  Lieutenant-Colonel  D.  C.  Kelley, 
with  about  five  hundred  men  and  a  section  of  artil 
lery  from  Hudson's  battery  under  command  of  Lieu 
tenant  Walton,  to  take  a  position  near  Eastport,  Miss., 
to  intercept  the  movement.  The  guns  were  all 
masked  and  the  troops  deployed  at  commanding 
points.  On  the  loth  the  expedition,  with  two  gun 
boats  and  three  transports,  came  in  sight.  Colonel 
George  B.  Hoge  was  in  command.  His  force  con 
sisted  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirteenth  and  One 
Hundred  and  Seventeenth  Illinois,  the  Sixty-first 
Colored  Infantry,  and  Company  G,  Second  Missouri 
Light  Artillery.  This  was  a  part  of  the  three  thou 
sand  troops  which  had  left  Cairo  for  Florence  on 
the  first  of  the  month.  Colonel  Hoge's  orders  were 
to  land  at  Eastport,  march  a  force  across  to  luka,  de 
stroy  railroad  tracks  and  bridges,  and  hold  Eastport 
until  he  could  hear  from  General  Washburn.  Upon 
touching  at  the  landing  Colonel  Hoge's  troops  were 
disembarked  and  formed  in  line  of  battle,  with  a  battery 
of  four  guns. 

While  some  of  the  men  were  still  on  the  gang 
planks  Lieutenant-Colonel  Kelley  caused  Lieutenant 
Walton  to  open  fire  from  his  rifled  guns  both  upon 
the  troops  ashore  and  the  five  vessels  in  the  river. 
Every  shot  took  effect.  The  gunboats  Undine  and 
Key  West  were  quickly  disabled  and  obliged  to  drop 
down  the  stream.  Colonel  Hoge  went  aboard  the 
transport  City  of  Pekin,  which  also  floated  away.  A 
shell  struck  and  exploded  a  caisson  on  the  transport 
Kernon,  setting  fire  to  the  boat,  and  about  the  same 
time  a  similar  disaster  happened  to  the  Aurora.  The 
boats  backed  out,  leaving  two-thirds  of  the  troops  on 
the  shore.  These  were  ordered  to  proceed  down  the 

20 


296  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

river  under  the  bluffs,  and  a  large  number  were  taken 
on  board  at  a  safe  point.  But  four  guns  of  the  battery 
were  lost.  Colonel  Hoge  reached  Johnsonville  the 
same  day  and  reported  eighteen  killed,  thirty-one 
wounded,  and  twenty-five  missing ;  total,  seventy-four. 

General  Forrest,  now  well-nigh  worn  out,  applied 
on  the  8th  of  October  for  leave  of  absence  for  twenty 
or  thirty  days,  as  he  needed  rest  and  desired  an  op 
portunity  to  look  after  his  large  and  neglected  private 
interests.  He  also  requested  that  his  two  divisions 
be  placed,  as  they  originally  were,  under  the  command 
of  Brigadier-Generals  Chalmers  and  Buford,  and  that 
Mabry's  brigade  be  substituted  for  McCulloch's,  which 
was  still  at  Mobile  and  much  dissatisfied.  The  request 
was  not  granted  by  General  Taylor,  but  he  wrote  a  most 
complimentary  letter  expressing  regret  that  it  could 
not  be  done.  Johnsonville  had  now  become  a  great 
depot  for  supplies  sent  up  the  Tennessee  River  to  that 
point  and  forwarded  thence  by  rail  to  Nashville  and 
Atlanta.  Forrest  was  ordered  to  look  after  the  depot, 
and  first  of  all  to  repair  the  Memphis  and  Charleston 
Railroad  from  Cherokee  to  Corinth,  and  the  Mobile 
and  Ohio  from  that  point  northward  to  Henderson  or 
Bethel  Station  for  the  transportation  of  troops  and 
artillery.  Chalmers,  who  was  below  Memphis,  near 
Grenada,  was  to  join  Forrest  at  Jackson  by  the  i6th 
of  October,  but  he  had  less  than  seven  hundred  and  fifty 
men  fit  for  duty  and  only  a  section  of  artillery.  For 
rest  urged,  in  writing  his  superior,  that  the  Mobile 
and  Ohio  Railroad  should  be  protected  both  for  the 
transportation  of  supplies  and  troops  to  his  front  and 
to  Hood's  army  moving  on  Middle  Tennessee,  and  to 
afford  an  avenue  of  retreat  if  necessary. 

Buford's  division,  accompanied  by  Morton's  and 
Walton's  batteries,  moved  in  the  direction  of  Jacks 
Creek  on  the  I7th  of  October.  Forrest  followed  the 


FORREST'S   COMMAND    REORGANIZES.          297 

next  day  with  his  escort  and  Rucker's  brigade,  still 
commanded  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Kelley,  by  way  of 
Purdy  and  Henderson  Stations,  and  effected  a  junction 
with  Chalmers  at  Jackson  on  the  2oth.  Colonel 
Rucker  reported  for  duty,  and  resumed  command  of 
his  brigade,  and  was  again  under  Chalmers  as  his  divi 
sion  commander.  Buford  was  despatched  on  the  2oth 
to  Lexington,  twenty-five  miles  eastward  of  Jackson, 
to  watch  the  movements  of  the  enemy  reported  to  be 
preparing  to  cross  the  river  at  Clinton,  and  on  the 
2oth  Forrest  ordered  him  to  advance  northward  to 
Huntingdon  and  thence  by  way  of  Paris  to  the  mouth 
of  Big  Sandy  River,  and  Chalmers  up  to  McLemores- 
ville.  The  men  of  Bell's  brigade  were  given  until  the 
26th  to  visit  their  homes  and  to  secure  outfits  in 
clothing  and  mounts.  Special  attention  was  to  be 
given  to  the  collection  of  forage  and  subsistence, 
which  were  scarcer  than  ever  before,  and  to  the  re 
turn  of  absentees.  No  resistance  was  to  be  made  if 
the  Federals  attempted  to  cross  over  into  West  Ten 
nessee,  as  such  a  move  would  be  a  diversion  in  favor 
of  Hood.  General  Roddey  was  requested  to  send 
as  many  of  his  command  as  could  be  spared  from 
north  Alabama  to  the  neighborhood  of  Corinth.  Lieu- 
tenant-General  Taylor  was  also  urged  to  send  troops 
temporarily  to  Corinth. 

Buford,  heading  the  extreme  advance,  divided  his 
forces  between  Paris  landing  and  at  a  point  opposite 
old  Fort  Heiman,  five  miles  lower  down  and  almost 
opposite  Fort  Henry.  Two  2o-pounder  Parrott  guns, 
brought  up  from  Mobile,  were  placed  opposite  Fort 
Heiman ;  one  section  of  Morton's  battery  of  3-inch 
guns  was  stationed  with  Bell's  brigade  near  Paris  land 
ing  and  commanded  the  river  for  about  one  mile  each 
way.  These  batteries  were  well  masked  and  supported 
by  troops.  Forrest's  entire  force  north  of  Corinth  did 


298  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  FORREST. 

not  exceed  thirty-four  hundred  men,  and  more  than 
one  thousand  of  these  would  not  have  been  available 
or  effective  in  action.  The  men  and  horses  were  de 
pleted  in  numbers  and  run  down  by  hard  service  and 
privation.  Meantime  Kirzon's  scouts  had  been  thrown 
out  to  report  any  movements  possibly  coming  from 
the  direction  of  Memphis ;  while  the  Sixteenth  Ten 
nessee,  under  Colonel  Wilson,  Newsom's  regiment, 
under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Wisdom,  and  the  Four 
teenth  Tennessee,  commanded  by  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Raleigh  R.  White,  were  guarding  points  on  the  river 
southward  of  Clifton  where  the  Federals  had  been 
expected  to  cross. 

Everything  was  ready  for  sharp  work  by  daylight 
of  the  29th,  and  at  nine  o'clock  the  Federal  transport 
Mazeppa,  with  two  barges  in  tow,  came  in  sight  down 
the  river,  and  soon  passed  the  lower  batteries  little 
dreaming  of  danger.  A  few  moments  later  the  guns 
opened  fire  with  unerring  precision,  and  shells  went 
straight  through  the  unarmed  transport.  The  pilot 
headed  for  the  northern  shore,  where  the  crew  and 
officers,  except  fthe  captain,  escaped  to  the  woods.  A 
daring  Confederate  volunteered  to  paddle  across  on  a 
log,  and  accepted  the  surrender  of  the  gallant  captain 
and  his  disabled  steamer.  The  yawl  was  launched  and 
rowed  to  the  opposite  shore  by  the  two  heroes  of  the 
occasion.  A  detail  was  made  for  the  return  trip,  and 
by  means  of  a  hawser  the  Mazeppa  was  soon  pulled 
across  and  tied  up  on  the  western  bank.  This  proved 
to  be  a  rich  prize,  abounding  with  clothing  and  blan 
kets,  shoes,  sutler's  stores,  wines,  liquors,  and  many 
others  of  the  necessities  and  luxuries  of  life  to  which 
the  thinly  clad  and  ill-fed  Confederates  were  quite  un 
used.  The  cargo  was  placed  under  a  strong  guard  and 
quickly  removed  some  distance  to  the  rear.  While  this 
was  going  on  and  nearly  completed,  about  5  P.  M., 


FORREST'S  COMMAND   REORGANIZES.          299 

three  gunboats  appeared  from  below  and  began  to  shell 
the  men  who  were  actively  engaged  in  removing  the 
stores.  These,  however,  were  soon  repulsed  by  the 
shore  batteries,  but  General  Buford,  expecting  a  re 
turn  of  the  gunboats  in  greater  force,  had  the  Mazeppa 
burned. 

On  the  morning  of  the  3Oth  the  steamer  Anna  came 
down  the  river  and  succeeded  in  running  the  gantlet  of 
all  the  batteries.  This  was  attributable  in  part  to  the 
forbearance  of  General  Buford,  who  was  said  to  have 
withheld  the  fire  of  his  heavy  guns  in  the  hope  of  cap 
turing  the  vessel.  The  pilot  agreed  to  round-to,  but 
when  firing  ceased  he  suddenly  resumed  his  course 
and  made  his  escape  under  a  heavy  fire.  The  boat 
was  considerably  riddled  and  damaged.  Next  from 
above  appeared  the  gunboat  Undine,  convoying  the 
transport  Venus  with  two  barges,  the  Undine  being 
the  boat  of  recent  unfortunate  experience  at  Eastport. 
These  boats  were  not  fired  upon  until  they  had  passed 
the  upper  batteries.  The  lower  and  larger  guns  opened 
with  such  effect  that  they  were  turned  back  and  held 
between  two  fires.  Colonel  Rucker  moved  up  with 
two  lo-pounder  Parrotts  to  a  point  on  the  bank 
whence  he  could  reach  the  boats.  Just  then  the  J.  W. 
Cheeseman  from  above  appeared  on  the  scene,  and  was 
attacked  by  the  upper  and  middle  batteries,  supported 
by  the  Fifteenth  Tennessee  regiment  and  the  Twenty- 
sixth  Battalion  Tennessee  Cavalry,  under  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Kelley.  The  Undine  was  disabled  and  driven 
to  the  northern  bank,  where  nearly  all  the  officers  and 
crew  escaped.  The  transport  Venus  was  well  defended 
by  a  small  detachment  of  Union  infantry,  but  surren 
dered  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  Kelley,  who  went  aboard 
with  two  companies  of  his  battalion,  crossed  the  river, 
and  brought  the  gunboat  Undine  back  to  the  Con 
federate  side. 


30O  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

Another  gunboat,  No.  29,  came  down  the  river  and 
opened  fire  for  a  time  and  then  withdrew.  The  Cheese- 
man  was  found  to  be  badly  damaged,  and  by  order  of 
General  Forrest  was  burned.  The  Undine,  a  large  boat 
carrying  eight  2opounder  brass  howitzers,  and  the 
Venus  were  not  greatly  damaged,  and  were  soon  re 
paired  and  became  the  nucleus  of  a  Confederate  flotilla 
which  was  to  have  a  brief  but  brilliant  career  without 
parallel  in  all  naval  history.  Forrest  had  a  fancy  for 
artillery,  and  now  this  most  resourceful  man  was  to 
organize  a  small  navy  manned  by  mounted  infantry. 
The  Undine  became  the  new  commodore's  flag-ship ; 
the  two  2O-pounder  Parrotts  from  Mobile  were  placed 
on  the  gunboat  Undine  under  command  of  Captain 
Gracey,  who  fought  with  Forrest  at  Chickamauga,  and 
all  the  sailors  and  seamen  were  known  for  the  time  be 
ing  as  the  horse  marines.  Lieutenant-Colonel  W.  A. 
Dawson,  however,  was  placed  in  immediate  command 
of  the  Venus,  which  was  to  be  well  supported  from  the 
shore  in  moving  on  Johnsonville.  A  trial  trip  of  these 
two  vessels  was  made,  and  as  their  noses  were  not  run 
into  the  banks  it  was  regarded  as  satisfactory.  The 
novel  sight  of  Confederate  flags  flying  at  the  mastheads 
of  Federal  craft  created  much  enthusiasm  among  the 
troops  on  shore.  Upon  the  return,  supplies  of  shoes, 
blankets,  hard  bread,  etc.,  taken  from  the  Mazeppa 
were  taken  on  board  the  Venus,  as  well  as  the  two  20- 
pounder  Parrotts.  On  the  morning  of  the  ist  of  No 
vember  the  expedition  was  set  in  motion  toward  John 
sonville.  Chalmers's  division  led  the  advance,  and 
Buford  moved  in  the  rear  to  watch  for  gunboats  from 
below.  The  Undine  and  Venus  were  expected  to  keep 
under  cover  of  Morton's  and  other  batteries  moving 
southward  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river.  The  roads 
were  rough  and  slippery,  rain  was  pouring  down,  and 
all  the  conditions  as  distressing  as  possible.  Yet  there 


FORREST'S   COMMAND   REORGANIZES.          301 

was  an  exhilaration  of  spirits  among  the  men  created 
by  a  sense  of  danger  and  the  novelty  of  the  surround 
ings. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  2d  the  little  flotilla  ven 
tured  incautiously  ahead  of  land  supports  and  sud 
denly  came  under  fire  of  gunboats  Nos.  29  and  32,  led 
by  Lieutenant-Commander  King,  U.  S.  N.  The  Venus, 
well  in  advance,  was  soon  badly  damaged,  run  ashore 
and  captured,  together  with  the  two  Parrott  guns,  two 
hundred  rounds  of  precious  ammunition,  five  hundred 
and  seventy-six  boxes  of  hard  bread,  and  other  valu 
able  freight  which  had  been  taken  from  the  Mazeppa 
by  Captain  Gracey.  Colonel  Dawson  and  the  other 
officers  and  men  all  escaped  to  the  shore  without  hav 
ing  time  to  fire  the  vessel.  The  guns  and  ammunition 
taken  were  afterward  used  against  the  Confederates 
at  Johnsonville.  The  Undine  escaped  down  the  river 
for  the  time  being,  and  was  protected  by  Chalmers's 
artillery  placed  in  position  at  Davidsons  Ferry,  while 
the  Venus  was  taken  off  in  tow.  That  evening  the  head 
of  the  column  reached  a  point  a  mile  below  Reynolds- 
burg  and  encamped  there,  General  Forrest  and  staff 
being  four  miles  southward.  On  the  3d  the  Undine  and 
land  forces  proceeded  cautiously  up  the  river.  Some 
Federal  gunboats  appeared  from  below  but  were  en 
gaged  and  checked  by  batteries  on  the  shore.  The 
Key  West  and  two  other  gunboats  came  down  from 
Johnsonville  and,  while  the  first  one  was  damaged  by 
artillery  fire,  others  from  above  and  below  closed  in 
on  the  Undine  and  drove  her  to  the  eastern  bank.  Cap 
tain  Gracey  fired  and  destroyed  the  vessel  and  escaped 
with  his  men  to  the  cane-brakes,  and  remaining  there 
until  night,  crossed  back  on  logs  and  rafts  and  rejoined 
their  command.  And  thus  ended  this  unique,  ill- 
starred,  and  almost  hopeless  undertaking. 

Late  on  the  afternoon  of  the  3d  Forrest  and  his 


302  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

chief  of  artillery,  Morton,  made  a  reconnaissance  of 
Johnsonville  from  the  opposite  shore.  The  place  was 
a  mere  hamlet  at  the  mouth  of  a  creek,  with  railroad 
depot  and  considerable  buildings  at  the  steamboat  land 
ing.  Back  of  this,  in  a  field  about  one  hundred  feet 
above  the  water-front,  was  a  strong  redoubt  armed 
with  heavy  ordnance  and  rifle-pits  running  down  west 
and  south.  On  the  western  side  the  bank  was  about 
twenty  feet  above  the  river,  dropping  back  to  a  bot 
tom.  This  was  heavily  covered  with  timber  except 
when  cut  down  to  give  range  for  the  guns  in  the  fort. 
Forrest  decided  to  attack  the  place  at  two  o'clock 
next  day.  During  the  night  Thrall's  battery — 12- 
pounder  howitzers — was  placed  under  cover  opposite 
the  southern  landing.  General  Lyon,  who  had  been  a 
regular  artillery  officer  before  the  war,  arrived  with 
four  hundred  Kentucky  troops,  and  took  charge 
of  this  battery  in  person,  causing  the  guns  to  be 
pushed  forward  three  hundred  yards  by  hand  and 
having  chambers  sunk  and  embrasures  cut  through  the 
bank.  The  men  worked  hard  all  night,  and  even  after 
daylight,  but  with  great  caution.  The  batteries  were 
well  supported  by  Buford's  and  Chalmers's  men  con 
cealed  in  the  timber  and  behind  logs  and  other  natural 
protection. 

The  Federals  evidently  felt  safe  in  the  thought  that 
Forrest  was  vanquished  and  far  away,  making  his  es 
cape.  Three  gunboats  with  steam  up  were  moored  at 
the  Johnsonville  landing;  passengers  were  strolling 
about,  and  ladies  could  be  seen  coming  down  the  hill 
as  if  to  bid  adieu  to  friends  ;  officers  and  men  were  busy 
on  the  decks ;  laborers  were  at  work  handling  freight ; 
soldiers,  white  and  colored,  straggled  up  and  down 
the  hillside  between  the  landing  and  the  redoubt, 
and  a  sense  of  the  utmost  security  and  satisfaction 
seemed  to  pervade  the  animated  panorama.  General 


FORREST'S  COMMAND   REORGANIZES.          303 

Forrest  viewed  all  this  through  his  glasses  with  a 
different  sense  of  satisfaction.  The  time  had  come  to 
strike  a  decisive  blow.  Two  p.  M.  was  the  hour  set  for 
the  attack,  and  the  watches  of  commanding  officers 
had  been  timed  together,  but  the  signal  was  not  given 
until  three  o'clock.  Then  ten  guns  were  fired  as  one, 
and  every  shell  seemed  to  take  effect.  Steam  poured 
forth  from  many  apertures  in  the  gunboats  and  the 
crews  were  seen  to  jump  into  the  river  and  swim  for 
the  shore.  Only  one  gunboat  was  able  to  return  the 
fire.  But  the  ordnance  on  the  redoubt  opened  promptly 
and  soon  fired  with  remarkable  accuracy  on  the  sunken 
Confederate  batteries,  though  with  not  much  effect. 
Two  boats  were  soon  in  flames  and  another  was  run 
ashore  and  deserted.  As  the  boats  floated  away  they 
set  fire  to  nearly  all  the  barges  and  transports  at  the 
landing.  At  four  o'clock  Forrest  turned  his  attention 
to  the  buildings  filled  with  stores  and  to  the  vast  ac 
cumulations  of  various  kinds  of  army  supplies  stacked 
on  the  ground.  A  few  well-directed  shots  set  on  fire 
great  piles  of  hay  and  corn  and  barrels  of  spirits. 

The  flames  shot  up  madly  and  in  a  short  time  there 
was  a  wall  of  fire  on  the  river  banks,  consuming  every 
thing  of  value,  and  in  one  hour  the  great  depot,  the 
main  object  of  the  expedition,  was  destroyed.  The 
hungry  Confederates  claimed  that  they  could  smell 
the  burning  meats  across  the  river  as  well  as  detect 
fumes  of  sugar,  coffee,  and  liquors  all  going  up  in 
grand  conflagration.  The  firing  of  artillery  soon 
ceased,  and  the  cavalry  force,  except  Rucker's  brigade, 
was  at  once  ordered  several  miles  to  the  rear,  and  after 
dark  all  the  artillery  was  withdrawn  except  one  sec 
tion.  Forrest  returned  in  the  morning  and  viewed 
the  ruins.  The  gunboats,  transports,  and  barges,  rail 
road  depot,  warehouses,  and  other  buildings  and  stores 
that  had  covered  acres  of  ground,  were  all  gone,  and 


304  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

the  redoubt  guarded  only  heaps  of  ashes  and  smoking 
embers.  The  artillery  and  troops  under  Rucker  were 
now  withdrawn,  though  not  without  firing  a  volley  at 
a  colored  regiment  which  came  out  to  make  a  futile 
demonstration.  The  total  money  value  of  the  property 
destroyed  and  captured  during  the  operations  of  For 
rest  on  the  Tennessee  River,  including  barges  and 
steamboats,  was  estimated  by  an  assistant  inspector- 
general  of  the  United  States  Army  at  about  two  mil 
lion  two  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Other  estimates 
were  much  greater.  The  military  and  naval  forces  of 
Johnsonville  on  November  4th  were  stated  to  be  as 
follows :  Forty-third  Wisconsin  Volunteers,  seven  hun 
dred  men;  detachments  of  the  Twelfth,  Thirteenth, 
and  One  Hundredth  United  States  Colored  Infantry 
(numbers  not  given) ;  quartermasters'  employees,  eight 
hundred  men ;  six  lo-pounder  Parrott  guns,  four  12- 
pounder  Napoleon  guns,  and  two  2O-pounder  Parrott 
guns  (captured  on  the  Venus),  and  the  gunboats  Key 
West,  Elphin,  and  Tawah. 

Forrest,  in  his  report,  says :  "  Having  completed 
the  work  designed  for  the  expedition  I  moved  my  com 
mand  six  miles  during  the  night  by  the  light  of  the 
enemy's  burning  property.  The  roads  were  almost  im 
passable  and  the  march  to  Corinth  was  slow  and  toil 
some,  but  we  reached  there  on  November  loth  after  an 
absence  of  over  two  weeks,  during  which  time  I  cap 
tured  and  destroyed  four  gunboats,  fourteen  transports, 
twenty  barges,  twenty-six  pieces  of  artillery,  and  six 
million  seven  hundred  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  prop 
erty,  and  captured  one  hundred  and  fifty  prisoners. 
General  Buford,  after  supplying  his  own  command, 
turned  over  to  my  chief  quartermaster  about  nine  thou 
sand  pairs  of  shoes  and  one  thousand  blankets.  My 
loss  during  the  entire  trip  was  two  killed  and  nine 
wounded." 


FORREST'S   COMMAND   REORGANIZES.          305 

The  return  back  to  the  line  of  the  Memphis  and 
Charleston  Railroad  was  attended  with  great  difficulty. 
Forrest  had  been  ordered  by  General  Beauregard  to 
join  Hood  in  Middle  Tennessee.  His  aim  was  to  cross 
at  Perryville,  which  point  he  reached  on  the  evening 
of  the  6th  of  November.  Next  day  he  succeeded  in 
crossing  over  only  four  hundred  of  Rucker's  command 
by  means  of  the  two  yawls  which  had  been  taken  from 
the  Mazeppa.  Then  he  ordered  Rucker  to  proceed  in 
the  direction  of  Florence  while  he  would  continue 
southward.  Such  was  the  condition  of  the  roads  that 
as  many  as  sixteen  horses,  or  from  four  to  eight  yoke 
of  oxen,  were  required  to  drag  a  single  gun,  and  one 
day  Morton's  battery  was  only  advanced  two  and  a 
half  miles.  Chalmers  was  ordered  to  march  to  luka 
by  way  of  the  river  roads,  and  Buford  marched  by  way 
of  Corinth  with  his  division.  Both  were  united  at 
Cherokee  Station  on  the  i6th  of  November,  and 
marched  thence  to  Florence,  where  they  crossed  the 
Tennessee  River  on  the  I7th  and  i8th  on  a  pontoon 
bridge  constructed  for  General  Hood's  army,  which 
was  encamped  on  both  sides  of  the  river.  All  extra 
baggage  and  artillery,  except  eight  pieces  and  the  dis 
abled  horses  of  both  divisions  had  been  ordered  to 
Verona,  Miss.  On  his  way  to  Hood's  army,  Forrest 
met  General  Beauregard,  now  in  control  of  operations 
in  the  departments  commanded  by  Generals  Hood 
and  Taylor,  had  a  full  conference  with  him  at  Tuscum- 
bia,  and  upon  arriving  at  Florence  he  was  placed  in 
command  of  all  the  cavalry  of  the  Army  of  Tennessee. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

COVERING   HOOD'S   DISASTROUS   RETREAT   FROM    NASH 
VILLE. 

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  HOOD  turned  the  Army  of 
Tennessee  from  near  Atlanta  toward  Middle  Tennes 
see  about  the  ist  of  October,  1864.  Sherman's  com 
munications  were  first  touched  at  Big  Shanty,  north  of 
Marietta  and  Kenesaw  Mountain.  The  railroad  was 
destroyed  thence  to  Dalton,  and  the  entire  available 
force  was  thrown  northwest  to  Gadsden,  Ala.  The 
plan  was  to  cross  the  Tennessee  River  near  Gunters 
Ferry,  the  southernmost  point  of  the  river,  move  into 
Middle  Tennessee  in  Sherman's  rear  and  force  him  to 
leave  Atlanta  and  north  Georgia,  as  well  as  to  obtain 
subsistence  for  Hood's  well-nigh  half-starved  men. 
Reaching  Gadsden  on  the  2ist  of  October,  he  turned 
the  head  of  his  command  to  Decatur,  but  halting,  soon 
found  a  strong  Federal  force  there,  lost  some  three 
weeks'  time,  marched  forty  miles  westward,  and  finally 
effected  a  crossing  at  Florence.  It  was  natural  that 
such  a  man  as  Forrest,  who  had  often  been  over  and 
fought  over  much  of  the  ground,  should  be  summoned 
to  report  to  Hood.  The  main  army,  divided  into  three 
corps,  consisted  of  effective  infantry,  twenty-five 
thousand,  artillery,  two  thousand,  and  W.  H.  Jack 
son's  cavalry,  one  thousand  nine  hundred  and  eighty- 
six.  This  division  was  composed  of  Armstrong's  bri 
gade,  thirteen  hundred  men,  and  Ross's  brigade,  six 
hundred  and  eighty-six.  To  this  aggregate  force  of 
306 


COVERING   HOOD'S   DISASTROUS    RETREAT,    307 

about  twenty-nine  thousand  was  added  Forrest's  cav 
alry  of  three  thousand  effectives.  Buford's  division 
was  reduced  to  about  seven  hundred  and  fifty  men  and 
Bell's  brigade  to  seven  hundred  and  fifty  by  the  ab 
sence  of  men  furloughed  to  secure  mounts,  and  all  but 
four  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  Kentucky  brigade  were 
on  detached  service. 

Upon  assuming  command  on  the  I7th  of  Novem 
ber  Forrest  issued  a  brief  but  stirring  address  to  his 
subordinates  and  all  the  troops  placed  under  him. 
Preparations  were  rapidly  made  for  a  forward  move 
ment  to  Shoal  Creek  in  advance  of  the  infantry.  Bu- 
ford  and  Jackson  were  ordered  northward  the  next 
day  on  the  military  road  and  soon  came  in  collision 
with  a  brigade  of  Union  cavalry  of  Hatch's  division 
which  seemed  to  be  foraging  in  force.  Huey's  Ken 
tucky  battalion,  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  was  in 
advance  and  suffered  severely  in  the  sharp  skirmish 
which  followed.  General  Frank  Armstrong,  of  Jack 
son's  division,  came  to  the  rescue  and  the  Federals 
were  repulsed  with  the  loss  of  several  prisoners. 
Colonel  Edward  Crossland  was  here  again  severely 
wounded  just  after  recovering  from  injuries  re 
ceived  at  Harrisburg.  The  weather  was  exceedingly 
inclement,  but  Forrest  had  made  well-defined  plans, 
and  on  the  2ist  of  November  set  out  with  Chalmers's 
division  toward  Nashville,  reaching  Henryville  on  the 
23d.  Buford  and  Jackson,  by  a  different  road,  reached 
Lawrenceburg  on  the  22d  and  had  a  brush  with  Hatch's 
division  of  cavalry,  which  retreated  toward  Pulaski. 
On  the  22d  Forrest,  with  Lieutenant-Colonel  White 
of  the  Fourteenth  Tennessee  in  advance,  encountered 
a  considerable  Federal  force  at  Fouche  Springs,  and 
ordered  Rucker's  brigade  to  skirmish  sharply  at  the 
front  while  Lieutenant-Colonel  D.  C.  Kelley  was  di 
rected  to  move  around  on  the  left  flank. 


308  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

Forrest  led  his  escort  of  eighty  men  far  to  the  right 
and  rear,  and  just  at  dark  came  suddenly  upon  a  body  of 
cavalry  in  the  act  of  going  into  camp.  Kelley  was  not 
within  hearing,  and  Forrest,  with  characteristic  dash, 
charged  at  the  head  of  his  escort  into  the  encamp 
ment,  firing  right  and  left  at  short  range.  This  pro 
duced  a  stampede  and  resulted  in  the  capture  of  fifty 
prisoners,  twenty  horses,  and  one  ambulance.  Rucker 
heard  the  firing  and  charged  in  front,  driving  the  Fed 
erals  down  upon  Forrest,  and  he  was  obliged  to  turn 
off  the  road  with  his  escort  and  prisoners  to  escape 
being  swept  away.  As  it  was  they  ran  against  a  small 
detachment  of  Union  soldiers,  which  was  captured.* 
After  that  Forrest  ambuscaded  the  retreating  Federals 
and  fired  upon  the  advancing  column  which,  being 
pressed  from  the  rear  and  unable  to  deploy  in  the 
woods,  made  a  gallant  charge  down  the  road  and  es 
caped,  but  not  without  considerable  loss  in  men  and 
horses.  Rucker  came  up  very  soon  and  was  recog 
nized  by  his  voice  in  the  dark,  or  otherwise  would 
have  been  fired  upon,  and  the  Confederates  proceeded 
to  the  encampment  previously  attacked,  where  an 
abundance  of  abandoned  forage  and  subsistence  was 
found  and  enjoyed  for  the  night.  Rucker's  losses  and 
those  of  the  escort  for  the  day  were  five  killed  and 
thirty  wounded.  Those  of  the  enemy  were  much 
greater,  exclusive  of  prisoners. 

Rucker  resumed  his  march  on  the  morning  of  the 
24th  to  Mount  Pleasant,  where  he  captured  thirty-five 
thousand  rounds  of  small-arms  ammunition  and  the 
guard  in  charge.  The  enemy  was  pressed  thence  to 
the  suburbs  of  Columbia,  where  a  strong  stand  was 
made,  and  in  a  hand-to-hand  fight  the  gallant  Lieu 
tenant-Colonel  Dawson,  of  the  Fifteenth  Tennessee, 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xlv,  part  i,  p.  752. 


COVERING   HOOD'S   DISASTROUS   RETREAT.    309 

lost  his  life  in  an  encounter  with  a  color-bearer.  Chal 
mers,  in  his  report  of  the  affray,  says :  "  In  the  pursuit 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Dawson  was  killed  while  leading 
his  regiment  in  the  charge.  He  had  emptied  his  re 
volver  and  was  endeavoring  to  wrest  one  of  the  ene 
my's  flags  from  its  bearer  when  he  was  killed."*  Gen 
eral  Forrest  arrived  in  front  of  Columbia  on  the  24th, 
invested  the  place,  and  waited  for  Hood's  infantry, 
which  appeared  on  the  27th,  when  the  Federals  re 
treated.  On  the  28th  nearly  all  the  Confederate  cav 
alry  crossed  Duck  River  at  different  fords.  Meantime 
Brigadier-Generals  Buford  and  Jackson,  had  advanced 
from  Lawrenceburg,  meeting  strong  resistance,  but 
driving  the  Federals  toward  Pulaski  and  gaining  the 
advantage  in  a  sharp  engagement  with  Edward  Hatch's 
division  at  Campbellsville.  The  forces  in  Pulaski  had 
been  flanked  out  of  position  and  forced  rapidly  toward 
Nashville.  Every  day  there  was  a  battle,  though  classed 
only  as  a  skirmish  at  that  period  of  the  war.  The  Fed 
erals  did  not  get  back  to  Columbia  and  across  Duck 
River  any  too  soon.  Forrest's  quick,  sharp  advance  was 
a  constant  surprise,  although  he  was  met  by  gallant, 
well-trained,  and  self-reliant  troops.  Colonel  Stone,  of 
General  George  H.  Thomas's  staff,  says :  "  In  spite  of 
every  opposition  Forrest  succeeded  in  placing  one  of 
his  divisions  on  the  north  side  of  Duck  River  before 
noon  on  the  28th,  and  forced  back  the  Union  cavalry  on 
the  roads  leading  toward  Spring  Hill  and  Franklin."  f 
Forrest  advanced  with  Chalmers's  division  that 
night  eight  miles  beyond  Columbia  on  the  Spring  Hill 
and  Carrs  Mill  road,  and  was  greatly  disappointed  to 
learn  at  eleven  o'clock  that  night  that  Buford  had  met 
such  effective  resistance  in  crossing  Duck  River  that 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xlv,  part  i,  p.  763. 

f  Battles  and  Leaders  of  the  Civil  War,  vol.  iv,  p.  444. 


310  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

he  could  not  join  him  before  the  next  morning.  Jack 
son's  division  crossed  at  Lilliards  Mills,  next  day 
moved  up  the  Lewisburg  and  Franklin  pike,  and  Arm 
strong  soon  reported  that  he  had  struck  a  strong  force. 
He  was  directed  to  engage  it  but  not  too  vigorously. 
Forrest,  with  Buford's,  Jackson's,  and  Chalmers's  di 
visions  then  advanced  toward  Spring  Hill,  driving 
General  Wilson,  now  in  command,  with  heavy  fighting 
toward  Franklin,  and  turning  eastward  when  within 
two  miles  of  the  place  became  engaged  with  the  in 
fantry  in  a  strong  position,  and  was  forced  back. 
Hood  sent  word  to  hold  out,  that  his  infantry  was 
only  two  miles  away.  A  general  attack  was  soon 
made  in  front  on  the  flanks  by  Forrest  and  Cleburne. 
The  Federals  were  driven  from  their  rifle-pits  and 
back  into  Spring  Hill.  Jackson  was  ordered  forward 
to  Thompsons  Station  to  cut  off  the  retreat  if  possi 
ble,  and  he  engaged  the  enemy  with  his  small  force 
at  eleven  o'clock  on  the  night  of  the  2Qth ;  but  all 
efforts  failed  and  the  retreat  was  continued  with  great 
celerity. 

General  Cheatham,  having  come  up  to  Spring  Hill, 
was  ordered  to  attack  the  Federal  column  vigorously 
at  sunset,  but  owing  to  some  misunderstanding  or  blun 
der  this  was  not  done.  The  Federals  in  that  neighbor 
hood  were  now  outnumbered  by  the  Confederates  two 
to  one.  Forrest  had  prepared  the  way  for  a  brilliant 
victory  which  was  not  gained.  The  Union  forces  were 
allowed  to  escape  with  impunity,  and  Jackson's  heroic 
fight  to  hold  the  pike  was  all  in  vain.  About  nine 
o'clock  that  night,  the  29th,  General  Stewart's  corps 
came  up  to  the  point  where  Forrest  was  in  bivouac,  and 
the  two  officers  rode  together  to  General  Hood's  head 
quarters,  a  mile  distant,  and  on  the  way  Forrest  was 
surprised  to  find  that  Cleburne's  division  had  been 
withdrawn  from  its  former  position,  leaving  the  road 


COVERING   HOOD'S   DISASTROUS   RETREAT.    311 

open  for  the  rear  divisions  of  the  Federal  army.  Word 
came  that  Jackson  was  pressed  and  needed  aid.  Buford 
and  Chalmers  had  fired  sixty  rounds  of  ammunition 
that  day  and  were  without  a  cartridge,  and  the  ord 
nance  train  as  well  as  others  was  far  in  the  rear.  As 
a  result  of  the  conference  with  General  Hood,  Forrest 
undertook  to  hold  the  pike  with  Jackson's  division. 
Returning  to  his  headquarters  he  found  General  Jack 
son  waiting  for  him,  and  after  a  conference  the 
latter  went  back  to  his  post  and  resumed  the  fight, 
which  lasted  from  midnight  until  daylight.  But  the 
most  he  could  do  was  to  harass  the  enemy,  killing, 
wounding,  and  capturing  a  few,  and  causing  some  wag 
ons  to  be  abandoned.  One  of  his  brigades  (Ross's)  de 
stroyed  a  train  of  cars  near  Thompsons  Station. 

The  next  morning,  November  3Oth,  Forrest,  after 
disposing  of  his  forces,  moved  forward  with  his  escort 
and  Bell's  brigade  upon  the  Franklin  pike.  Six  miles 
from  Spring  Hill  he  overtook  Jackson,  who  was  close 
upon  the  Federal  rear-guard.  Bell's  brigade  was 
thrown  forward  and  took  part  in  a  skirmish  for  four 
miles,  and  until  the  Federals  were  behind  their  lines  at 
Franklin.  General  Forrest  proceeded  to  make  a  recon 
naissance  of  the  position  occupied  by  the  Federals,  and 
when  General  Hood  came  up  at  one  o'clock  reported 
that  the  place  was  very  strong,  but  that  he  could  flank 
the  Federals  from  their  works  with  a  division  of  in 
fantry  and  his  cavalry  in  two  hours.  Hood  merely 
told  him  to  take  charge  of  the  cavalry  to  be  posted  on 
both  flanks,  and  if  the  assault  proved  successful  to  com 
plete  the  ruin  of  the  enemy  by  capturing  those  who 
attempted  to  escape  in  the  direction  of  Nashville. 
Cheatham's  corps  was  formed  on  the  left,  Stewart's  on 
the  right,  and  General  S.  D.  Lee's  held  in  reserve,  but 
nearly  all  were  finally  in  action.  The  advance  to 
Franklin  had  been  made  as  rapidly  as  possible  under 

21 


312  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

the  conditions.  The  Federal  forces  in  the  way  were 
generally  outnumbered  and  somewhat  scattered,  and 
had  been  flanked  and  forced  back  at  nearly  all  points, 
until  now  they  were  well  concentrated  within  strong 
works  and  could  not  do  less  than  make  a  stand.  Hood 
thought  they  were  still  retreating,  and  that  it  would  be 
easier  to  drive  than  to  flank  them  out  of  their  works. 
Never  was  greater  mistake  made,  never  such  unneces 
sary  wholesale  murder  of  veteran  soldiers  even  on  the 
previous  22d  of  July  in  front  of  Atlanta. 

By  4  P.  M.  all  was  ready  for  the  slaughter.  Forrest, 
under  instructions,  had  placed  Jackson's  and  Buford's 
divisions  on  Stewart's  right  on  the  south  side  of  Har- 
peth  River,  while  Chalmers's  division,  with  a  fragment 
of  a  brigade  under  Biffle,  was  placed  on  Cheatham's 
left  on  the  Carters  Creek  pike.  Buford's  men  were  in 
touch  with  the  infantry  eastward  of  Franklin  between 
the  Lewisburg  pike  and  the  river,  and  as  the  advance 
was  made  soon  after  four  o'clock  Jackson's  division 
was  thrown  across  the  river  and  came  in  contact  with 
Wilson's  cavalry.  Forrest  crossed  over  with  Jackson, 
and  Buford,  pushing  both  the  cavalry  and  infantry  in 
his  front  before  him,  soon  drove  the  dismounted  Fed 
eral  troops  across  the  river.  The  battle  raged  on  this 
part  of  the  line  as  well  as  in  the  center  until  dark,  when 
Forrest,  learning  that  Hood  had  failed  in  the  main 
battle,  withdrew  his  troops  to  the  south  side  of  the 
river.  Meantime  Chalmers  on  the  extreme  Confed 
erate  left  advanced  as  far  as  possible  and  was  heavily 
engaged  with  an  infantry  force,  keeping  up  a  constant 
fire  to  hold  the  enemy  in  his  front. 

General  James  H.  Wilson,  one  of  the  famous  cav 
alry  leaders  of  the  war,  gave  the  Confederates  great 
credit  for  their  intrepidity,  saying  that  if  Chalmers  had 
been  with  Forrest,  and  "  had  his  [Hood's]  whole  cav 
alry  force  advanced  against  me,  it  is  possible  that  it 


COVERING   HOOD'S   DISASTROUS   RETREAT.    313 

would  have  succeeded  in  driving  me  back."  *  But  in 
fact  only  Jackson's  division,  eighteen  hundred  men,  was 
engaged  with  Wilson  across  the  river.  This  was  one 
of  the  bloodiest  and  most  desperately  contested  battles 
of  the  war,  not  excepting  Gettysburg.  The  Confed 
erates,  with  all  their  valor  and  implicit  confidence  in 
their  leaders,  only  broke  through  the  lines  at  two  or 
three  points.  Their  losses  were  frightful  both  from 
this  point  and  the  batteries  on  Figuers  Hill  which  over 
looked  and  enfiladed  the  field.  The  best  and  the  bravest 
went  down  like  grass  before  the  scythe.  It  was  an 
awful  harvest  of  death.  Here  fell  the  great  leaders 
as  well  as  the  privates  in  the  ranks.  The  details  of 
the  battle  need  not  be  mentioned  in  this  connection.  It 
is  sufficient  to  say  that  a  force  of  about  sixteen  thou 
sand  Confederate  infantry  was  repulsed  with  terrific 
slaughter  by  about  thirteen  thousand  Federal  infantry, 
assailed  in  strong  entrenchments.  The  remaining  in 
fantry,  Federal  and  Confederate,  were  not  engaged. 
The  Federal  cavalry  under  General  Wilson  numbered 
about  seventy-seven  hundred.  Forrest  had  hardly  five 
thousand  all  told.  That  night  at  a  seasonable  hour 
Major-General  Schofield,  in  command,  withdrew  to 
ward  Nashville,  leaving  the  dead,  the  greater  part  of 
his  wounded,  and  some  stores  and  supplies  in  the  hands 
of  the  Confederates. 

General  Hood,  in  his  report,  says :  "  We  captured 
about  one  thousand  prisoners  and  several  stands  of 
colors.  Our  loss  in  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners  was 
fifty-five  hundred.  Among  the  killed  were  Major-Gen 
eral  P.  R.  Cleburne,  Brigadier-Generals  Gist,  John 
Adams,  Strahl,  and  Granbury.  Major-General  Brown, 
Brigadier-Generals  Carter,  Manigault,  Quarles,  Cock- 
rell,  and  Scott  were  wounded,  Carter  mortally,  and  Brig- 

*  Battles  and  Leaders  of  the  Civil  War,  vol.  iv,  p.  446. 


314  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

adier-General  George  W.  Gordon  captured."  Hood's 
total  losses  were,  in  fact,  about  sixty-four  hundred, 
including  eighteen  hundred  and  one  killed.  The  losses 
of  Forrest's  cavalry  in  this  battle  were  light  compared 
to  those  of  the  infantry.  As  soon  as  it  was  discovered 
that  the  Union  forces  were  in  retreat,  Forrest's  cav 
alry  pursued  vigorously  on  the  morning  of  the  1st  of 
December.  Crossing  the  Harpeth  at  daylight  with 
Buford  and  Jackson,  and  advancing  to  Wilson's  cross 
roads,  the  enemy  was  overtaken  in  some  force,  but 
dislodged  by  the  opening  of  Morton's  battery  and  a 
charge  by  Buford.  Brisk  skirmishing  ensued  without 
important  results.  Some  colors,  prisoners,  and  horses 
were  taken  in  different  light  actions.  Chalmers  moved 
forward  on  the  left  without  meeting  with  serious  re 
sistance,  and  when  within  six  miles  of  Nashville  the 
cavalry  divisions  were  halted  slightly  in  advance  of  the 
infantry  and  thrown  into  position  for  the  night  on  a 
line  from  the  Nolensville  turnpike  on  the  right  to  the 
Granny  White  turnpike  on  the  left,  a  distance  of  four 
miles.  Chalmers  being  slightly  in  the  advance  on  the 
Franklin  pike  was  encamped  for  the  night  not  more 
than  four  miles  from  Nashville.  On  the  morning  of 
December  2d  his  troops,  with  Biffle's  demi  brigade  on 
the  left,  moved  up  nearer  Nashville  on  the  Hillsbor- 
ough  and  Harding  pike,  while  Forrest  with  Buford  and 
Jackson  advanced  by  the  Nolensville  pike  within  three 
miles  of  the  State  capital,  which  was  in  full  view.  The 
infantry  arrived  in  the  afternoon,  and  Forrest  was  re 
lieved  to  give  his  'attention  to  blockhouses  and  garri 
sons  in  the  neighborhood  and  to  interfere  with  the 
navigation  of  the  Cumberland  River. 

On  the  3d  Lieutenant-Colonel  Kelley  with  three 
hundred  men  and  two  pieces  of  artillery  captured  two 
transports  loaded  with  horses  and  other  Government 
property  twelve  miles  below  Nashville,  but  while  tin- 


COVERING   HOOD'S   DISASTROUS   RETREAT.    315 

loading  the  horses  the  enemy's  gunboats  came  down 
from  Nashville  and  recaptured  the  transports.  Kelley, 
however,  secured  fifty-six  prisoners  and  one  hundred 
and  ninety-seven  horses  and  mules.  Forrest  on  the 
same  day,  with  Buford's  division,  captured  a  stockade 
with  eighty  prisoners,  besides  killing  and  wounding 
several  more  by  the  first  shots  from  Morton's  guns. 
A  train  coming  up  the  road  from  the  direction  of  Mur- 
freesboro  was  crippled  and  captured,  but  the  negro 
troops  on  board  nearly  all  escaped.  On  the  4th  two 
more  blockhouses  were  taken  and  all  were  burned. 
Altogether  two  hundred  and  fifty  officers  and  men  were 
captured,  including  those  taken  with  the  train.  Under 
orders  from  General  Hood  Forrest  proceeded  with  Bu- 
ford's  and  Jackson's  divisions  toward  Murfreesboro 
to  picket  the  railroad,  and  northward  to  the  Cumber 
land  River.  At  La  Vergne,  on  December  5th,  General 
W.  H.  Jackson  captured  a  redoubt  with  a  garrison  of 
eighty  men,  two  pieces  of  artillery,  together  with  wag 
ons  and  stores,  while  Forrest  and  Buford  took  another 
blockhouse  with  forty  officers  and  men.  The  block 
house  at  Smyrna  Station  was  also  taken  that  day  with 
thirty-five  prisoners.  Major-General  Bate  with  his 
division  of  infantry  reported  to  General  Forrest  four 
miles  from  La  Vergne  to  cooperate  in  the  movement 
against  Murfreesboro.  The  cavalry  approached  within 
four  miles  of  that  place  on  the  evening  of  the  5th,  but 
the  infantry  did  not  reach  the  scene  until  the  next 
morning.  The  Confederates,  reenforced  by  two  small 
brigades  of  infantry — Sears's  and  Palmer's,  about  six 
teen  hundred  men — advanced  upon  the  town  and  skir 
mished  lightly  for  two  hours  ;  but  the  Union  troops  fell 
back  within  their  works  and  awaited  an  attack.  Mean 
while  Forrest,  taking  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  of 
Pinson's  Mississippi  regiment,  made  a  close  reconnais 
sance  of  the  works — Fortress  Rosecrans,  the  strongest 


316  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

in  the  South — and  became  convinced  that  the  position 
was  too  strong  to  be  taken  by  assault. 

General  Lovell  H.  Rousseau  was  known  to  have  at 
least  seven  thousand  men  in  the  fortress.  Forrest  had 
only  sixty-five  hundred  all  told  and  decided  to  wait  un 
til  he  could  hear  from  General  Hood.  On  the  morning 
of  the  7th  Forrest,  who  was  stationed  with  Palmer's 
infantry  brigade  on  a  hill  two  miles  from  Murfreesboro, 
observed  the  enemy  move  out  in  force  on  the  Salem 
pike  with  infantry,  cavalry,  and  artillery.  Forrest  pre 
pared  to  meet  this  movement  by  forming  a  line  of  battle 
composed  of  Bate's  division  and  Sears's  and  Palmer's 
brigades,  with  Jackson's  cavalry  on  the  flanks,  at  the 
Wilkinson  pike.  Light  breastworks  were  hastily  con 
structed  and  the  Confederate  commander  was  confident 
that  his  infantry  lines  would  prove  invincible.  The 
Federal  force,  consisting  of  two  brigades  of  infantry 
and  thirteen  hundred  and  twenty-six  cavalry,  with 
artillery,  all  commanded  by  Major-General  R.  H.  Mil- 
roy,  advanced  with  great  gallantry,  and  was  soon 
sharply  engaged.  After  thirty  minutes  General  Mil- 
roy  fell  back  into  a  thick  wood,  moved  by  the  right 
flank  in  a  northeasterly  direction,  realined  his  men, 
and  again  advanced  to  the  attack.  The  Confederate 
lines  had  to  be  readjusted  to  meet  the  movement  on  the 
Wilkinson  pike.  Forrest  rode  among  the  infantry,  as 
suring  them  that  if  they  would  hold  their  own  for 
fifteen  minutes  he  would  destroy  the  Federals  with  his 
cavalry  from  the  rear. 

In  forming  a  new  line  of  battle  Forrest  fell  back 
some  distance,  expecting  to  draw  the  Federals  away 
from  their  base  and  throw  Jackson's  and  Buford's  divi 
sions  in  their  rear.  The  enemy  came  on  in  handsome, 
confident  style,  drove  in  the  Confederate  skirmishers 
and  charged  upon  the  main  line,  when  to  the  great 
surprise  of  Generals  Forrest  and  Bate  all  the  infantry, 


COVERING    HOOD'S   DISASTROUS    RETREAT.   317 

except  General  Tom  Benton  Smith's  brigade  (Bate's 
old  brigade),  was  thrown  into  wild  and  hopeless  con 
fusion.  These  men  were  veterans  who  had  been  exem 
plars  of  greatest  valor  upon  many  battle-fields,  but  the 
panic  or  the  instinct  of  better  judgment  or  self-preser 
vation  was  uncontrollable.  Forrest  was  wild  with  in 
dignation  and  rode  among  the  fleeing  soldiers,  entreat 
ing,  begging,  and  ordering  them  to  rally.  Pursuing  a 
panic-stricken  color-bearer  and  ordering  him  to  halt, 
without  being  heeded,  he  seized  the  flag  and  continued 
his  efforts  to  try  to  rally  the  line.* 

General  Bate  and  various  officers  of  the  line  and 
staff  were  likewise  active  in  their  efforts  to  stay  the  ebb 
ing  tide  of  demoralized  Confederates.  This  was  accom 
plished  finally,  but  not  until  the  cavalry  was  brought 
into  action.  Ross's  brigade  was  thrown  forward  on 
the  front  and  Armstrong  attacked  the  Federals  on  the 
right  flank  and  rear  with  such  vigor  that  they  yielded 
the  field  and  fled  back  toward  Murfreesboro.  After  the 
battle  the  Confederate  infantry  marched  northward 
eight  miles  and  rested  at  Stewarts  Creek,  and  the  cav 
alry  bivouacked  in  their  former  position.  The  with 
drawal  of  the  Federals  within  their  fortifications  was 
due  in  part  to  a  bold  strategic  movement  of  General 
Buford  who,  under  orders  of  General  Forrest,  had 
swung  around  and  attacked  the  place  from  the  rear 
and  with  dismounted  men  advanced  near  to  the  center 
of  the  town.  This  hastened  the  return  of  Milroy,  un 
der  orders  from  General  Rousseau.  In  this  bold  at 
tack  Buford  had  two  of  Morton's  guns  with  him. 
These  penetrated  as  far  as  the  court-house,  and  at 
2  p.  M.,  nearly  all  the  horses  being  killed,  the  pieces 
were  carried  off  by  hand. 

*  General  Forrest's  bugler  Gaus  was  by  his  side  constantly 
sounding  the  charge,  until  he  for  the  second  time  had  his  bugle 
riddled  with  balls  at  short  range. 


318  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

Bate's  division  of  infantry  was  recalled  to  join 
Hardee's  corps  near  Nashville,  and  a  small  brigade 
under  Colonel  Olmstead  was  assigned  to  take  its  place, 
thus  leaving  Forrest  with  three  weak  infantry  bri 
gades.  Buford  was  detached  on  the  nth  with  his 
Kentuckians,  now  numbering  about  three  hundred,  to 
do  picket  duty  at  the  Hermitage  and  on  the  Cumber 
land,  so  as  to  obstruct  navigation  above  Nashville. 
The  remaining  infantry  brigades  were  engaged  on  the 
1 2th  in  destroying  the  railroad  between  Murfreesboro 
and  La  Vergne.  General  Jackson,  operating  south 
ward  with  Ross's  brigade  in  the  advance,  had  cap 
tured  a  train  of  seventeen  cars  well  freighted  with 
supplies  from  Stephenson  intended  for  the  garrison 
at  Murfreesboro.  This  was  destroyed,  and  some  two 
hundred  members  of  the  Sixty-first  Illinois  Infantry, 
who  made  a  gallant  defense,  were  captured.  The  re 
mainder  of  the  regiment  escaped  to  a  neighboring 
blockhouse. 

On  the  morning  of  the  I4th  General  Forrest  moved 
eastward  of  Stone  River  with  two  of  his  infantry  bri 
gades,  to  look  out  for  a  Federal  foraging  train  reported 
in  that  direction.  The  next  day  he  received  orders 
from  General  Hood  to  hold  himself  in  readiness  for 
an  emergency,  and  thereupon  concentrated  his  com 
mand  at  Wilkinson's  crossroads,  six  miles  distant.  On 
the  evening  of  the  i6th  Forrest  received  notice  of  the 
battle  and  disastrous  defeat  of  Hood  in  front  of  Nash 
ville,  with  orders  to  fall  back  toward  Duck  River  and 
hold  himself  in  readiness  to  protect  the  rear  of  the 
retreating  army.  Buford  was  to  retire  through  La 
Vergne  from  the  Hermitage  and  protect  Forrest's  rear 
until  he  was  well  under  way.  Forrest's  sick  and  bag 
gage-trains  were  at  Triune,  and  he  took  up  his  line  of 
retreat  by  way  of  Lilliards  Mills  on  Duck  River,  while 
Armstrong  was  detached  to  Hood's  rear.  Forrest's  in- 


COVERING   HOOD'S   DISASTROUS   RETREAT.    319 

fantry  were  barefoot,  and  he  had  four  hundred  pris 
oners  as  well  as  one  hundred  head  of  cattle  and  four 
hundred  hogs  to  retard  his  march.  The  roads  were  in 
terrible  condition  and  progress  was  painfully  slow. 
Duck  River  was  found  to  be  rising  rapidly.  The  pris 
oners,  cattle,  and  half  the  wagons  were  rapidly  thrown 
across,  and  after  that  Forrest  had  to  move  westward 
to  Columbia  to  secure  a  crossing  for  the  remainder  of 
his  trains  and  artillery. 

Meantime  General  Chalmers  had  been  operating 
with  the  utmost  alertness  upon  the  right  and  left  flanks 
of  Hood's  army.  His  headquarters  were  on  the  Hard 
ing  turnpike,  four  miles  southwest  of  Nashville.  Rif 
fle's  command  was  deployed  up  the  river,  and  Rucker's 
brigade,  only  twelve  hundred  strong,  on  the  left,  touch 
ing  the  river,  which  was  successfully  blockaded.  On 
the  I4th  Ector's  brigade  of  infantry  was  sent  to  the 
assistance  of  Rucker,  and  the  lines  were  readjusted. 
The  weather  became  intensely  cold  and  the  ground  was 
covered  with  sleet  and  snow,  but  this  did  not  for  a 
moment  interfere  with  the  activity  in  the  trenches 
around  Nashville.  Thousands  of  men  were  at  work 
strengthening  every  possible  point  of  defense,  and  even 
citizens  were  impressed  or  employed,  and  all  this  under 
the  direction  of  skilful  engineers.  The  army  within 
numbered  eighty-three  thousand,  the  one  without 
about  twenty-two  thousand.  Major-General  Thomas 
could  have  sallied  out  any  day  for  two  weeks  and  van 
quished  Hood's  army,  but  he  seems  to  have  preferred 
to  strengthen  his  cavalry  so  as  to  be  able  to  cut  off  the 
retreat  even  across  Duck  River,  and  thus  bring  the 
war  to  an  end  in  the  west,  which  would  have  been  at 
once  a  humane  and  brilliant  achievement. 

When  the  battle  of  Nashville  began  on  the  morning 
of  December  I5th,  Wilson's  cavalry  force  consisted  of 
twelve  thousand  five  hundred  men  with  nine  thousand 


320  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

horses,  two  thousand  of  which  he  reported  as  scarcely 
fit  for  service.  Advancing  on  the  Federal  right  with 
a  splendid  force,  greatly  superior  in  numbers  to  all 
the  Confederate  cavalry  combined,  he  easily  brushed 
away  Ector's  brigade  of  infantry,  which,  however, 
made  a  stubborn  resistance  before  sweeping  eastward 
to  join  the  main  body  of  infantry.  Moving  out  on  the 
Harding  pike,  Wilson  captured  Chalmers's  headquar 
ters  wagon  and  part  of  his  train.  Chalmers,  who  was 
with  Rucker  down  the  river,  was  thus  cut  off,  and  in 
the  rear  of  the  Federal  army.  Late  in  the  evening  he 
succeeded  in  effecting  a  junction  with  Hood's  left. 
Early  on  the  morning  of  the  i6th  Rucker  took  a  posi 
tion  on  Hood's  left  and  was  soon  assailed  by  a  strong 
cavalry  column.  Chalmers  made  every  possible  effort 
to  resist  this  and  kept  up  a  gallant  fight  nearly  all  day. 
Late  in  the  afternoon  he  rode  toward  General  Hood's 
headquarters  to  seek  orders,  and  in  his  absence  a  note 
was  handed  to  Rucker  from  Hood,  stating  that  the 
battle  was  lost  and  ordering  the  cavalry  to  cover  his 
retreat  on  the  Granny  White  turnpike,  and  resist  the 
Federal  pursuit  at  all  hazards.  A  duplicate  of  this 
despatch  was  captured  by  General  Wilson,  or  it  some 
how  fell  into  his  hands.  This  to  him  was  official 
information  that  Hood  had  given  up  the  battle  and 
was  on  the  retreat. 

The  Seventh  Alabama,  which  had  been  cut  off  in 
the  rear  on  the  Harding  pike,  came  up  and  joined 
Rucker  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  was  placed  by  him 
in  a  position  to  resist  the  Federal  advance.  Kelley  was 
on  their  line  but  was  soon  overwhelmed  by  Wilson's 
triumphant  troopers.  Rucker  returned  at  dusk  to  the 
point  where  he  had  left  his  Twelfth  Tennessee,  and 
found  in  its  place  a  Federal  regiment  commanded  by 
Colonel  George  Spalding  of  Hatch's  division.  A  per 
sonal  combat  on  horseback  ensued  between  the  two 


COVERING   HOOD'S   DISASTROUS   RETREAT.    321 

valiant  colonels,  both  of  whom  were  fine  riders  and 
good  swordsmen.  Rucker  was  isolated  in  the  midst  of 
the  enemy,  and  turned  to  make  his  escape.  A  number 
of  shots  were  fired  at  him,  and  both  horse  and  rider 
fell  heavily  to  the  ground.  Colonel  Rucker  was  speech 
less  for  a  time,  though  not  unconscious,  and  was  soon 
placed  on  his  own  horse  and  carried  to  the  headquar 
ters  of  General  Hatch,  not  far  away.  There  he  rallied 
sufficiently  to  make  the  impression  that  Forrest  had 
arrived  from  Murfreesboro  and  was  taking  an  active 
part  in  the  events  of  the  day.  Colonel  Rucker  was 
treated  with  the  utmost  kindness  and  courtesy  that 
night  by  Generals  Wilson  and  Hatch  and  Colonel 
Spalding,  and  the  next  evening  was  sent  into  Nash 
ville,  where  the  surgeons  in  the  hospital  found  it  neces 
sary  to  amputate  his  wounded  arm. 

Chalmers,  Rucker,  and  Kelley  had  thrown  all  the 
force  and  energy  they  could  command  in  the  way  of 
the  Federal  advance.  This,  with  the  impression  that 
Forrest  was  on  the  field  prevented  any  reckless  ad 
vance  in  the  dark  and  the  rain.  The  break  in  Hood's 
infantry  lines  occurred  about  four  o'clock,  and  the  pur 
suit  by  Hammond  and  Croxton,  of  Wilson's  corps,  was 
not  continued  more  than  two  or  three  miles,  owing  to 
the  stand  made  by  the  Confederate  cavalry.  In  day 
light  this  would  have  been  easily  swept  away.  As  it 
was  the  infantry  had  time  to  retreat  during  the  night 
and  reorganize  the  next  morning. 

As  soon  as  General  Forrest  heard  that  a  battle  was 
in  progress,  he  ordered  Buford's  division  toward  Nash 
ville  and  Franklin,  and  the  two  divisions  were  united 
at  the  latter  place  on  the  I7th  of  December.  Forrest 
reported  to  General  Hood  in  person,  and  was  assigned 
to  the  command  of  the  rear-guard  of  the  Army  of 
Tennessee,  which  duty  he  accepted  with  his  usual 
promptness,  and  thus  the  great  retreat  was  well  under 


322  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

way,  the  last  one  ever  to  be  made  out  of  the  State  by 
Confederate  forces. 

General  Stephen  D.  Lee's  corps  had  been  placed  as 
rear-guard  of  infantry.  Chalmers's  cavalry  moved 
next,  as  early  as  3  A.  M.  on  the  I7th,  and  crossed  the 
Harpeth  near  Franklin,  and  it  was  here  Chalmers  was 
joined  by  Buford  and  a  part  of  Bell's  brigade,  and  in 
the  absence  of  Forrest  was  placed  in  command  of  all 
the  cavalry,  receiving  orders  from  General  Lee  until 
the  latter  was  wounded  later  in  the  day  in  a  recon 
naissance  and  succeeded  in  command  by  Major-Gen- 
eral  Carter  L.  Stevenson.  There  was  sharp  fighting 
nearly  all  day,  and  when  six  miles  south  of  Franklin 
the  Confederates,  with  two  brigades  of  infantry — Pet- 
tus's  Alabamians  and  Stovall's  Georgians — the  cavalry 
under  Chalmers  and  Buford,  and  Bledsoe's  battery, 
under  Major-General  Clayton,  halted  and  formed  in 
line  of  battle.  The  Federal  brigades  came  on  in  reck 
less  style  and  charged  in  front  and  on  flank.  The  lines 
were  mingled  in  a  desperate  melee,  and  many  hand-to- 
hand  conflicts  took  place.  General  Chalmers  killed  one 
Federal  trooper  and  wounded  another,  and  it  was  here 
that  General  Lee,  while  exposing  himself,  was  wounded. 
The  fight  lasted  well  into  the  night,  officers  and  men  on 
both  sides  vying  with  each  other  in  deeds  of  unsur 
passed  courage.  The  Confederates  were  pushed  back, 
but  yielded  only  with  the  utmost  stubbornness  in  the 
face  of  greatly  superior  numbers.  The  object  in  such 
resistance  was  attained  in  part — Hood's  main  army 
was  making  time  and  distance  southward.  The  in 
fantry  rear-guard  reached  Thompsons  Station  and 
the  cavalry  bivouacked  that  night,  the  I7th,  at 
Spring  Hill  and  was  there  joined  by  Armstrong's 
brigade. 

Cheatham  relieved  Lee's  corps  as  rear-guard,  and 
falling  back  on  the  i8th  two  miles  southward  of  Spring 


COVERING   HOOD'S   DISASTROUS  RETREAT.     323 

Hill  formed  a  line  of  battle  and  threw  up  entrench 
ments  to  protect  the  trains  in  crossing  Rutherford 
Creek,  then  swollen  by  rains.  This  being  accomplished, 
Cheatham's  command  of  only  fifteen  hundred  infantry, 
with  cavalry  on  the  flanks  and  in  the  rear,  withdrew 
across  the  dangerous  creek  and  burned  the  bridge. 
The  main  Confederate  forces  were  now  crossing  Duck 
River  only  six  miles  southward,  and  Forrest,  coming 
upon  the  scene  from  the  direction  of  Murfreesboro  as 
stated  before,  had  met  General  Hood  and  been  placed 
in  command  of  the  rear-guard  of  cavalry  and  infantry 
and  at  once  proceeded  to  relieve  Cheatham's  worn-out 
command.  Strahl's  and  Maney's  brigades,  however, 
of  this  division,  afterward  formed  a  new  brigade  under 
Colonel  Hume  R.  Feild,  for  further  service  in  the 
rear-guard. 

General  Hood  had  intended  to  make  a  stand  on 
the  line  of  Duck  River,  but  his  defeat  had  been  so  dis 
astrous  that  he  found  it  necessary  to  hurry  on  and 
cross  the  Tennessee  River  if  possible.  The  Confed 
erates  were  in  a  deplorable  condition,  many  of  the  men 
being  barefoot  and  having  their  feet  tied  up  in  rags ; 
they  were  hungry,  bedraggled,  sore,  and  disheartened, 
all  knowing  that  they  had  been  irretrievably  defeated. 
General  Thomas,  in  his  report,  stated :  "  We  captured 
thirteen  thousand  one  hundred  and  eighty-nine  pris 
oners,  including  seven  general  officers  and  nearly  one 
thousand  other  officers  of  all  grades,  and  seventy-two 
pieces  of  serviceable  artillery.  During  the  same  period 
over  two  thousand  deserters  were  received,  to  whom 
the  oath  was  administered."  Wilson  had  fully  nine 
thousand  cavalry  with  supply-trains  and  artillery,  well 
mounted,  fed,  and  equipped,  and  flushed  with  victory. 
Forrest  had  about  three  thousand  effectives  and  offered 
to  attempt  the  protection  of  the  rear  if  given  four  thou 
sand  infantry  under  command  of  Major-General  Wai- 


324  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

thall.  This  was  promptly  acceded  to,  and  the  follow 
ing  fragments  of  commands  were  joined  with  For 
rest's  cavalry  to  constitute  the  most  famous  and  effect 
ive  rear-guard  of  the  war : 

The  brigades  of  General  W.  S.  Featherstone ;  Colo 
nel  J.  B.  Palmer ;  Colonel  C.  H.  Olmstead,  command 
ing  General  James  Argyle  Smith's  brigade ;  Strahl's 
brigade,  under  Colonel  Corrick  W.  Heiskell  of  the 
Nineteenth  Tennessee ;  Colonel  H.  R.  Feild's  brigade, 
Feild  having  succeeded  Maney;  General  D.  Coleman, 
commanding  Ector's  brigade ;  General  D.  H.  Reyn- 
olds's  brigade ;  General  J.  B.  Johnson,  commanding 
Quarles's  brigade ;  these  were  to  constitute  the  rear 
guard  of  infantry.  Three  hundred  of  them  were  bare 
footed,  and  their  feet  were  cut  by  the  ice  and  snow, 
yet  they  were  ready  to  hold  their  places  in  the  ranks. 
General  Forrest,  however,  sent  them  forward  with  the 
wagons,  thus  leaving  a  little  over  thirty-five  hundred 
effective  infantry,  under  immediate  command  of  Gen 
eral  Walthall.  Four  skeleton  brigades  were  formed 
out  of  the  above  and  commanded  respectively  by 
Colonel  Hume  R.  Feild  and  Brigadier-Generals  Palm 
er,  Reynolds,  and  Featherstone.  General  Hood  in 
person  arranged  this  force  at  Columbia.  Riding  up  to 
the  officer  in  command  of  Strahl's  brigade,  he  said : 
"  I  am  organizing  a  reserve  guard  of  infantry  under 
General  Walthall,  and  he  is  to  report  to  General  For 
rest,  who  will  cover  the  retreat  of  the  Army  of  Ten 
nessee,  and  I  would  like  to  know  if  this  command 
would  serve  in  that  body." 

"  We  are  soldiers,  general,"  replied  that  officer. 
Hood  promptly  ordered :  "  You  will  report  to  Colo 
nel  Feild." 

A  private  soldier  then  said :  "  General,  when  are  you 
going  to  give  us  a  furlough?"  The  general  replied: 
"  When  we  cross  the  Tennessee  River " ;  adding, 


COVERING    HOOD'S   DISASTROUS    RETREAT.    325 

"  The  cards  have  been  fairly  played  and  the  Yankees 
have  beaten  us  in  the  game." 

A  member  of  the  Nineteenth  Tennessee  chimed  in  : 
"  Yes,  but,  general,  they  were  d — d  badly  shuffled." 
The  general  did  not  appear  to  hear  this  criticism.* 

The  burning  of  the  bridge  at  Rutherford  Creek  by 
the  Confederates  after  they  were  across  gave  them 
time  for  a  good  start  southward.  The  Federals  did 
not  reach  the  creek  until  the  2Oth,  three  days  after  the 
battle  of  Nashville,  and  did  not  cross  until  the  2ist. 
Forrest  meantime  had  impressed  oxen  around  Colum 
bia  to  move  his  train  and  guns  to  the  Tennessee  River. 
He  burned  every  bridge  on  Duck  River  for  many  miles, 
and  as  the  stream  was  overflowing,  General  Wilson 
had  to  wait  fully  twenty-four  hours  for  a  tardy  bridge- 
train,  which  had  taken  the  wrong  road,  to  come  up 
before  he  could  begin  to  throw  his  men  across.  These 
delays  enabled  Forrest  to  move  half  his  train  back  a 
safe  distance,  and  have  his  teams  returned  in  time  to 
save  the  other  half.  Such  was  the  energy  and  prac 
ticability  of  the  man  who  was  instrumental  in  saving 
what  was  left  of  the  once  grand  and  proud  Army  of 
Tennessee,  now  so  rapidly  and  surely  becoming  a  rem 
iniscence.  After  the  Federals  effected  a  crossing  of 
Duck  River,  above  Columbia,  on  the  night  of  the  2ist, 
and  the  infantry  began  to  cross  on  the  morning  of  the 
22d,  Forrest  put  his  forces  in  retreat,  his  infantry  mov 
ing  by  the  Pulaski  road,  with  Jackson's  and  Buford's 
divisions  in  the  rear.  Chalmers  with  the  remainder  of 
his  division,  which  he  had  organized  as  a  brigade  at 
Columbia — about  five  hundred  strong — moved  on  the 
left  flank  through  Bigbeeville,  and  the  right  was  well 
guarded  by  scouts. 

*  Statement  of  Colonel  Luke  W.  Finlay,  of  Memphis,  who 
commanded  the  Fourth  Tennessee  Infantry  of  Strahl's  brigade 
in  that  campaign. 


326  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

As  the  Federals  approached  Columbia  a  furious  ar 
tillery  fire  of  shot  and  shell  was  opened  on  the  place. 
Forrest,  who  was  still  in  sight,  sent  forward  a  flag  of 
truce  and  had  an  interview  with  General  Hatch  across 
the  river,  assuring  him  that  the  place  was  only  occu 
pied  by  non-combatants  and  the  wounded  of  both  ar 
mies.  He  also  proposed  to  exchange  two  thousand 
prisoners  captured  during  the  campaign,  as  they  were 
without  blankets  or  suitable  clothing  for  such  inclem 
ent  weather,  to  say  nothing  of  food  and  ordinary 
comforts.  An  answer  was  received  in  the  name  of 
General  Thomas,  after  a  delay  of  two  hours,  refusing 
to  exchange  prisoners  or  to  receive  those  Forrest  had 
on  parole  with  the  understanding  that  a  like  number 
should  be  subsequently  returned.  The  only  result  of 
this  flag  of  truce  was  that  the  shelling  of  the  unde 
fended  place  was  discontinued. 

The  enemy  closed  up  vigorously  and  opened  fire 
with  artillery  upon  Forrest's  rear  three  miles  south  of 
Columbia.  After  a  running  fight  for  three  miles  far 
ther  southward,  the  Confederates  made  a  stand  at  the 
head  of  a  ravine  between  two  high  hills,  and  held  it 
until  the  morning  of  the  23d,  and  then  resumed  the 
retreat  back  to  a  favorable  point  south  of  Lynnville, 
and  in  advance  of  Richland  Creek,  where  another  stand 
was  made  on  the  24th.  Six  pieces  of  artillery  were 
placed  in  position  so  as  to  sweep  the  pike,  and  were 
supported  by  Armstrong's  brigade.  The  crossing  of 
the  creek  was  held  by  infantry ;  Chalmers  and  Buford 
were  in  line  to  the  left  of  the  artillery,  and  Ross's  bri 
gade  was  on  the  right.  A  brisk  artillery  duel  ensued. 
Chalmers  and  Buford  were  forced  back  to  the  creek ; 
Jackson's  division  was  sent  to  their  aid,  and  a  warm 
conflict  ensued  for  several  hours.  The  Federals  seemed 
to  suffer  rather  heavily,  but  in  the  midst  of  the  en 
gagement  General  Buford  was  severely  wounded,  and 


COVERING   HOOD'S   DISASTROUS   RETREAT.    327 

his  division  was  consolidated  temporarily  with  that  of 
Chalmers.  After  thirty-six  hours'  almost  constant 
fighting,  Forrest's  forces  being  threatened  by  flank 
movements  of  both  infantry  and  cavalry,  fell  back 
toward  Pulaski  without  further  event  of  consequence 
that  day. 

On  Christmas  morning  Forrest,  after  destroying 
ammunition  and  stores  that  could  not  be  removed,  and 
also  some  locomotives  and  two  trains  of  cars,  leaving 
a  rear-guard  under  Jackson,  fell  back  to  Anthonys 
Hill,  seven  miles  southward  of  Pulaski.  Jackson's  di 
vision,  composed  of  Armstrong's  brigade  and  Ross's 
veterans,  remained  to  make  as  stubborn  resistance  as 
possible  without  being  overwhelmed.  Anthonys  Hill, 
forty-two  miles  from  Bainbridge,  where  Hood's  army 
was  to  cross  the  Tennessee  River,  was  approached 
from  the  north  through  a  narrow  valley  between  two 
high  ridges.  Morton's  battery  was  placed  in  the  gap 
and  well  masked ;  Armstrong's  and  Ross's  retreating 
brigades  dismounted  and  fell  into  line  in  support  of  the 
artillery,  and  were  placed  in  touch  with  Featherstone's 
and  Palmer's  brigades  of  infantry  on  their  flanks. 
Temporary  breastworks  were  thrown  up  hastily,  and 
Chalmers's  small  command  was  thrown  to  the  left  to 
look  out  for  flank  movements.  The  stand  made  at 
Anthonys  Hill  was  to  determine  the  escape  or  de 
struction  of  Hood's  army.  Nature  had  made  this  a 
strong  strategic  point  for  defense,  and  Forrest  utilized 
it  to  the  best  advantage  in  a  great  emergency.  The 
pass  was  not  to  be  a  Thermopylae  from  which  none 
should  escape  to  tell  the  tale,  but  rather  a  vantage- 
ground  of  resistance  made  to  enable  flying  columns  to 
escape.  The  Confederates  were  well  placed  and  con 
cealed  in  the  gap  and  on  the  flanks.  As  an  ambuscade 
it  was  the  brilliant  and  resolute  conception  of  a  master 
mind  in  the  hour  of  defeat  and  despair. 

22 


328  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

It  was  not  long  to  wait  until  the  victorious  Union 
troops  charged  the  little  force  posted  as  a  rear-guard, 
and  drove  it  into  and  through  the  ravine  and  over  the 
crest  of  the  elevated  gap.  As  this  point  was  approached 
rather  cautiously,  Morton's  battery  opened  with  canis 
ter  at  short  range,  and  was  followed  by  a  heavy  fire  of 
musketry  from  the  main  line  of  infantry  and  dis 
mounted  men.  The  Federals  were  in  a  trap,  and  could 
only  answer  with  a  scattering  and  ineffective  fire 
against  hidden  foes.  It  was  a  complete  surprise,  and 
as  the  Union  troops  fell  back  in  confusion  they  were 
charged  and  followed  to  the  mouth  of  the  ravine. 
Their  loss  in  this  quick,  sharp  engagement  was  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  killed  and  wounded,  some  fifty 
prisoners,  three  hundred  cavalry  horses  and  as  many 
overcoats,  and  a  12-pounder  Napoleon  gun  with 
horses  attached.  The  Confederate  losses  were  compar 
atively  small — about  fifteen  killed  and  forty  wounded. 
A  direct  assault  was  not  again  attempted,  but  by  four 
o'clock  heavy  Federal  columns  had  flanked  the  posi 
tion,  its  advantages  were  exhausted,  the  game  of  war 
had  taken  a  turn,  and  Forrest  at  the  right  moment 
gave  an  order  to  withdraw.  This  movement  was  ac 
complished  late  in  the  day,  the  prisoners  and  captured 
gun  being  moved  in  the  retreat. 

There  were  no  good  turnpikes  in  that  part  of  the 
country  then.  The  roads  had  been  cut  into  canals  of 
mortar  and  gravel  by  Hood's  flying  army.  Rain,  sleet, 
and  snow  had  alternated  to  intensify  the  gloom  and 
appalling  conditions  of  the  situation.  The  officers  and 
men,  however,  as  only  American  soldiers  could,  kept 
up  a  spirit  of  fortitude  and  cheerfulness,  and  pushing 
on  through  mire  knee-deep,  reached  Sugar  Creek,  four 
teen  miles  from  Anthonys  Hill,  late  that  night.  At 
one  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  26th,  Forrest  halted 
the  command.  Sugar  Creek  was  a  clear,  pebbly  stream, 


COVERING   HOOD'S   DISASTROUS   RETREAT.    329 

in  which  the  men  cleansed  themselves  and  horses  of 
clinging  mud,  and  after  that  threw  up  light  breast 
works,  built  fires,  and  made  themselves  as  comfortable 
as  possible  until  daylight,  which  was  an  unusually  long 
rest  for  them.  At  this  point,  twenty-eight  miles  from 
the  Tennessee  River,  the  rear-guard  overtook  the  last 
of  Hood's  ordnance  train,  which  had  been  left  there 
while  the  mules  were  used  in  pulling  the  pontoon-train 
to  the  river.  These  being  returned,  the  ordnance-train 
was  ready  to  move,  and  had  to  be  protected  at  any  risk. 
The  road  to  the  river  was  as  well  kneaded  as  any 
passed  over  previously,  and  here  and  there  were  wrecks  - 
of  wagons,  broken-down  animals,  and  \veary  men  still 
struggling  to  make  their  way  back  to  Dixie. 

Walthall's  infantry  division  was  placed  in  position 
at  sunrise  on  the  26th,  about  two  hundred  yards  south 
ward  of  the  Sugar  Creek  ford.  Jackson's  division  was 
on  the  right,  and  Chalmers  was  thrown  seven  miles  to 
the  left.  Feild's  brigade  of  infantry  was  on  the  left, 
Reynolds  on  the  right,  and  the  others  in  reserve.  A 
dense  fog  prevailed,  and  the  entire  Confederate  force 
was  effectively  concealed.  The  Federal  cavalry,  now 
more  cautious  since  the  ambuscade  at  Anthonys  Hill, 
was  heard  at  the  ford  about  8.30  A.  M.  Several  cavalry 
regiments  were  dismounted  and  advanced  in  front  of 
mounted  cavalry.  Thus  disposed  they  came  within 
about  thirty  yards  of  the  breastworks  across  the  road, 
when  a  volley  was  fired  upon  them  and  they  were 
driven  back  in  disorder.  The  two  infantry  brigades 
and  Ross's  brigade  of  cavalry  charged  at  once,  drove 
the  Federals  back  on  their  horse-holders  and  through 
the  icy  creek,  which  was  waist-deep,  and  the  pursuit 
was  kept  up  for  nearly  two  miles  before  it  was  re 
called.  The  Confederates  held  their  position  until  noon, 
when  the  infantry  was  put  in  motion  for  the  river,  and 
the  cavalry  followed  at  i  P.  M.  This  was  the  last  fight 


330  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

worthy  of  the  name  during  Hood's  disastrous  campaign 
into  Middle  Tennessee.  The  results  of  the  day,  besides 
the  killed  and  wounded,  were  the  capture  of  about  a 
hundred  officers  and  men,  one  hundred  and  fifty  horses, 
and  as  many  overcoats,  which  were  of  great  value  to 
the  shivering  men.  General  Chalmers  repulsed  an  at 
tack  upon  his  part  of  the  line,  and  captured  some  pris 
oners.  Walthall's  infantry  division  bivouacked  within 
sixteen  miles  of  Tennessee  River  that  night,  and  on 
the  27th  was  returned  to  the  command  of  Lieutenant- 
General  Stewart.  An  infantry  corps  was  placed  on  the 
north  bank  of  the  river.  Forrest  was  relieved  from 
his  arduous  duties,  and  with  his  cavalry  crossed  on  a 
pontoon  bridge  to  the  south  side  that  afternoon,  and 
was  afterward  given  credit  by  General  Hood  for  hav 
ing  saved  his  army.  The  remarkable  endurance  and 
unfaltering  zeal  of  General  Forrest  and  subordinate 
commanders,  and  the  men  with  the  carbines,  excited 
the  gratitude  of  the  army  and  the  admiration  of  the 
world.  The  last  shot  fired  in  this  ill-fated  campaign 
was  directed  by  one  of  Forrest's  artillerists.  While  a 
portion  of  the  retreating  army  was  crossing  the  river 
on  the  pontoon  bridge,  at  Bainbridge,  two  small  Fed 
eral  gunboats  came  in  sight  and  opened  fire  on  the 
moving  column,  but  were  driven  off  by  a  section  of 
Morton's  battery. 

General  Wilson,  in  summing  up  some  of  the  hor 
rors  of  this  campaign  toward  the  last,  says :  "  The 
weather  had  become  worse  and  worse.  It  was  freezing 
cold  during  the  nights,  and  followed  by  days  of  rain, 
snow,  and  thaws.  The  country,  which  was  poor  and 
thinly  settled  at  best,  had  been  absolutely  stripped  of 
forage  and  provisions  by  the  march  of  contending  ar 
mies.  The  men  of  both  forces  suffered  dreadfully,  but 
the  poor  cavalry  horses  fared  still  worse  than  the 
riders.  Scarcely  a  withered  cornstalk  could  be  found 


COVERING   HOOD'S   DISASTROUS    RETREAT.    331 

for  them,  and  thousands,  exhausted  by  overwork,  fam 
ished  with  hunger,  or  crippled  so  that  death  was  a 
mercy,  with  hoofs  dropping  off  from  frost  and  mud, 
fell  by  the  wayside  never  to  rise  again.  By  the  time 
the  corps  found  rest  on  the  Tennessee  River  it  could 
muster  scarcely  seven  thousand  horses  fit  for  service. 
.  .  .  The  cavalry  advance-guard,  under  the  active 
and  enterprising  Spalding,  reached  the  north  bank  of 
the  river  just  as  the  bridge  had  been  swung  to  the 
south  side  and  the  last  of  the  rebels  were  disappearing 
in  the  distance." 

General  Forrest  had  completed  his  passage  to  the 
north  bank  of  the  Tennessee  River  on  the  i8th  of 
November,  and  recrossed  on  the  27th  of  December. 
His  own  command,  as  stated  before,  started  with  Jack 
son's  division  added,  and  numbered  about  five  thou 
sand  effectives.  For  thirty-five  days  he  was  in  sharp 
conflict  with  the  enemy  in  the  most  inclement  weather, 
and  in  a  country  well-nigh  devastated  and  drained  of 
resources.  In  the  last  campaign  he  captured  and  de 
stroyed  sixteen  blockhouses,  twenty  railroad  bridges, 
destroyed  or  rendered  useless  thirty  miles  of  railroad, 
four  locomotives,  and  about  one  hundred  cars  and  one 
hundred  wagons.  In  the  same  period  he  captured  some 
eighteen  hundred  prisoners,  one  hundred  thousand 
rounds  of  ammunition,  two  hundred  thousand  rations, 
and  nine  pieces  of  artillery,  and  brought  away  three 
pieces  of  artillery  and  ten  wagons  and  teams  more  than 
he  carried  in,  also  many  horses ;  while  the  loss  of  the 
enemy  in  killed  and  wounded  was  estimated  at  two 
thousand. 

Soon  after  reaching  the  south  bank  of  the  river, 
Forrest  issued  a  stirring  address  to  his  men,  in  which 
he  referred  to  the  principal  battles  in  which  they  had 
taken  part  since  they  left  Jackson,  Tenn.,  on  the  24th 
of  December,  1863,  as  fields  upon  which  they  had  won 


332  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

fadeless  immortality.  Continuing,  he  said :  "  To  sum 
up  in  brief  your  triumphs  during  the  past  year:  You 
have  fought  fifty  battles,  killed  and  captured  sixteen 
thousand  of  the  enemy,  captured  two  thousand  horses 
and  mules,  sixty-seven  pieces  of  artillery,  four  gun 
boats,  fourteen  transports,  twenty  barges,  three  hun 
dred  wagons,  fifty  ambulances,  ten  thousand  stands 
of  small  arms,  forty  blockhouses,  destroyed  thirty-six 
railroad  bridges,  two  hundred  miles  of  railroad,  six 
engines,  one  hundred  cars,  and  fifteen  million  dollars' 
worth  of  property.  In  the  accomplishment  of  this 
great  work  you  were  occasionally  sustained  by  other 
troops  who  joined  you  in  the  fight,  but  your  number 
never  exceeded  five  thousand,  of  whom  two  thousand 
have  been  killed  or  wounded,  while  in  prisoners  you 
have  lost  about  two  hundred."  The  address  closed 
with  an  appeal  to  his  soldiers  to  remember  their 
homes  and  dead  comrades,  yield  ready  obedience  to 
orders,  and  buckle  on  their  armor  anew  for  the  fight. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

FINAL    CAMPAIGN    IN      1865. — GENERAL    WILSON'S    CAP 
TURE     OF     SELMA. THEN     THE      SURRENDER. AND 

GENERAL   FORREST^S   FAREWELL   ADDRESS   AT   GAINES 
VILLE,  ALA. 

GENERAL  HOOD  made  his  headquarters  at  Tuscum- 
bia,  and  Forrest's  corps  was  permitted  to  move  toward 
Corinth  on  the  2Qth  of  December.  General  Roddey  was 
to  protect  Hood's  rear  in  the  movement  toward  Chero 
kee  Station,  but  Armstrong's  brigade  was  soon  needed 
and  recalled  to  assist  Roddey.  Reaching  Corinth,  For 
rest  furloughed  the  West  Tennesseeans  under  Bell,  and 
all  his  troops  whose  homes  were  not  too  remote  or 
beyond  the  Confederate  lines.  The  cavalry  not  fur 
loughed  was  sent  to  Okolona  to  recuperate.  Hood's  in 
fantry  began  to  pass  through  by  rail  for  Tupelo  on  New 
Year's  Day,  1865.  Scouts  were  sent  through  the  lines 
to  ascertain  the  movements  of  the  enemy,  and  General 
Bell  was  ordered  to  return  from  West  Tennessee  with 
his  men  and  recruits  by  the  25th  of  January.  Ross's 
brigade  was  left  at  Corinth  to  picket  the  approaches. 
Forrest  established  headquarters  at  Verona,  some  fifty- 
five  miles  southward,  about  the  middle  of  January,  and 
employed  all  the  means  in  his  power  to  gather  in  ab 
sentees  and  rehorse  his  men  and  artillery.  He  knew 
full  well  that  the  war  would  soon  be  over,  and  so  ex 
pressed  himself  to  a  chosen  few,  but  as  a  soldier  he 
knew  nothing  but  to  obey  orders  and  fight  on  to  the 
end.  The  officers  who  accompanied  their  men  on  fur- 

3?3 


334  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

lough  made  several  small  raids,  capturing  supplies, 
horses,  and  even  prisoners,  and  interrupting  navigation 
on  the  rivers.  About  this  time,  General  Sherman  in  a 
despatch  to  Thomas,  said :  "  I  suppose  Forrest  is  again 
scattered  to  get  horses  and  men,  and  to  divert  attention. 
I  would  like  to  have  Forrest  hunted  down  and  killed, 
but  doubt  if  we  can  do  that  yet."  Roddey's  brigade, 
left  in  the  Tennessee  Valley  in  northern  Alabama,  was 
soon  surprised  by  a  detachment  from  Wilson's  corps, 
led  by  Colonel  Palmer,  and  at  the  same  time  Hood's 
pontoon-  and  wagon-train  was  destroyed.  This,  in 
volved  a  loss  of  eighty-three  boats,  one  hundred  and 
fifty  wagons,  and  four  hundred  mules.  Roddey's 
troops  were  reported  by  General  Hood  to  be  at  home. 
By  request  of  General  Beauregard  all  the  cavalry  of  the 
department  was  placed  under  Forrest,  who  assumed 
command  of  the  Cavalry  Department  of  Alabama, 
Mississippi,  east  Louisiana,  and  West  Tennessee  on 
the  28th  of  January,  1865. 

The  troops  of  different  States  were  reorganized 
into  groups  as  far  as  practicable.  The  Mississippians 
were  placed  in  Chalmers's  division ;  the  Alabamians 
and  Kentuckians  in  a  brigade  under  Buford ;  the  Ten- 
nesseeans  under  Brigadier-General  T.  H.  Bell,  and 
Ross's  Texans  under  Brigadier-General  W.  H.  Jack 
son,  while  McCulloch's  Second  Missouri  was  made  an 
independent  command  to  act  directly  with  Forrest. 
On  the  28th  of  February  he  received  his  commission 
as  lieutenant-general,  and  on  the  ist  of  March  trans 
ferred  his  headquarters  to  West  Point,  Miss.  One 
abuse  and  source  of  weakness  which  he  realized  long 
before  he  left  Corinth  was  absenteeism,  amounting 
practically  to  desertion.  In  passing  through  north 
Mississippi,  General  Hood  called  Forrest's  attention 
to  this  growing  evil,  and  on  the  I4th  of  January  had  di 
rected  Forrest  to  "  keep  picked  bodies  of  cavalry  near 


FINAL   CAMPAIGN.  335 

at  hand  that  they  may  be  ready  to  pursue  and  capture 
any  men  that  may  desert  from  the  army.  If  the  first 
party  of  deserters  can  be  promptly  caught  and  pun 
ished  it  will,  perhaps,  deter  others  from  doing  the 
same." 

Nor  was  this  all  or  the  worst.  Many  men  of  in 
fluence,  tiring  of  real  service,  had  secured  authority 
from  department  commanders,  or  the  authorities  at 
Richmond,  to  go  within  the  Federal  lines  in  West  Ten 
nessee  or  western  Kentucky  and  raise  regiments  or 
battalions.  These  in  turn  would  appoint  officers  of 
various  ranks  for  recruiting  service,  under  whom  the 
men  enrolled  managed  to  keep  out  of  the  service, 
living  off  Southern  sympathizers  either  by  cour 
tesy  or  force,  and  dodging  alike  the  soldiers  of  both 
armies.  Had  the  Southern  Confederacy  become  an 
independent  government,  these  men's  names  would,  no 
doubt,  have  been  handed  down  to  posterity  at  the  head 
of  pension  rolls.  Forrest  appealed  to  Hon.  John  C. 
Breckenridge,  Secretary  of  War  at  Richmond,  to  have 
all  commissions  of  such  so-called  colonels  and  captains 
revoked,  and  the  recreants  forced  back  and  into  the 
ranks.  But  it  was  too  late  for  the  Confederate  au 
thorities  at  Richmond  or  in  the  field  to  reach  this  class 
effectually,  either  by  force  or  sentimental  appeals. 
Other  and  graver  matters  already  required  attention, 
for  the  last  days  of  the  lost  cause  were  already  at 
hand.  None  knew  or  hoped  for  this  more  ardently 
than  the  "  colonels  "  in  the  woods  and  their  skeleton 
regiments  of  skulkers.  Life  was  sweet  to  them,  and 
many  have  lived  on  to  a  green  old  age  to  "  tell  the  story 
of  battles  lost  and  won." 

In  the  reorganization  Chalmers's  division  was  for 
ty-five  hundred  strong,  divided  into  brigades  under 
Brigadier-Generals  F.  C.  Armstrong,  Wirt  Adams,  and 
Peter  B.  Starke.  Jackson's  division  was  about  thirty- 


336  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

two  hundred  strong,  and  the  Tennessee  brigades  were 
commanded  by  Generals  T.  H.  Bell — promoted  from 
colonel  to  brigadier-general  about  that  time — and  Alex 
ander  W.  Campbell.  Ross's  Texans  were  in  the  lat- 
ter's  brigade.  General  Chalmers's  command  remained 
at  Columbus,  Miss.,  until  the  i^th  of  March.  General 
Buford  was  ordered  to  Montevallo,  Ala.,  to  reorganize 
his  division,  and  remained  there  until  the  latter  part 
of  March.  Colonel  McCulloch  was  thrown  out  of  the 
command  of  a  brigade  which  he  had  exercised  so  long 
and  so  efficiently,  and  was  assigned  with  his  regiment, 
the  Second  Missouri,  to  special  scouting  service  to  re 
ceive  orders  directly  from  Forrest's  headquarters. 
Roddey's  force  remained  detached  from  duty  in  north 
Alabama,  and  was  to  be  under  Buford.  Two  of  Rod 
dey's  Alabama  brigades — Clanton's  and  Armistead's — 
were  detached  in  two  directions  to  guard  against  a 
threatened  movement.  These  widely  separated  com 
mands  were  never  brought  together  as  a  compact,  ef 
fective  force.  Remaining  at  Verona  until  the  ist  of 
March  Forrest  then  transferred  his  headquarters  to 
West  Point,  forty-two  miles  southward.  Meantime  he 
had  been  vigilant,  strengthening  his  forces  as  well  as 
watching  the  various  movements  of  the  enemy.  He 
was  well  aware  that  heavy  forces  of  Union  troops  had 
been  concentrated  near  Waterloo  and  Gravelly  Springs, 
on  the  Tennessee  River,  under  Major-General  James 
H.  Wils'on,  and  also  at  Memphis,  Vicksburg,  and  near 
Mobile,  as  well  as  at  Pensacola,  and  he  foresaw  that 
Wilson  would  probably  strike  for  the  heart  of  Missis 
sippi  or  Alabama,  and  so  notified  his  subordinates. 
Early  in  March  he  had  the  trees  marked  on  roads  lead 
ing  to  Tuscaloosa  and  Selma,  and  had  a  pontoon  bridge 
placed  on  the  Warrior  River  at  Finchs  Ferry,  and  ar 
ranged  so  that  the  troops  should  always  have  five  days' 
rations  on  hand  ready  to  be  cooked  at  short  notice. 


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FINAL  CAMPAIGN.  337 

The  Federals  could  have  invaded  Forrest's  terri 
tory  with  seventy-five  thousand  troops,  including  all 
arms.  General  Wilson,  however,  was  most  dreaded. 
He  was  a  West-Pointer,  an  accomplished  soldier  as 
well  as  gentleman,  was  surrounded  by  a  brilliant  staff, 
and  had  command  of  about  twenty-seven  thousand 
cavalry,  all  well  equipped  and  drilled.  One  division 
was  detached  and  sent  by  steamer  to  Canby,  and  one 
dismounted  remained  in  camp.  General  Wilson,  on 
the  22d  of  March,  with  the  First,  Second,  and  Fourth 
Divisions,  fourteen  thousand  strong — all  well  mounted 
except  fifteen  hundred  men  who  were  used  as  escort 
to  the  train  and  given  horses  as  they  could  be  sup 
plied — moved  out  from  his  cantonments  north  of  the 
Tennessee.  His  three  divisions  were  commanded  re 
spectively  by  Generals  McCook,  Long,  and  Upton,  offi 
cers  who  were  young  in  years  but  old  in  experience,  and 
already  noted  for  courage  and  high  military  qualities. 
The  entire  command  had  been  carefully  selected ;  all 
were  veterans,  and  the  troopers  were  armed  with  Spen 
cer  magazine  repeating  rifles.  Each  man  carried  five 
days'  light  rations,  one  pair  of  extra  horseshoes,  and 
one  hundred  rounds  of  ammunition.  Pack-animals 
carried  five  days'  rations  of  hard  bread  and  ten  of 
sugar  and  salt ;  while  forty-five  days'  rations  of  coffee, 
twenty  of  sugar,  fifteen  of  salt,  and  eighty  rounds  of 
ammunition  were  transported  on  a  light  wagon-train. 
The  main  supply-train  consisted  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  wagons,  which  were  to  be  sent  to  the  rear  as  fast 
as  emptied.  Then  there  was  a  canvas  pontoon-train 
of  thirty  *boats,  pulled  by  six  mule-teams.  A  better 
equipped  expedition  was  never  set  on  foot  during  the 
civil  war,  and  General  Wilson  had  unlimited  range 
of  discretion.  General  Canby  was  moving  on  Mobile, 
and  Wilson's  march  in  that  direction  was  a  diversion. 
The  command  moved  southward  in  three  columns  to 


33$  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

Jasper,  the  county  seat  of  Walker  County,  Alabama, 
and  thence  to  Elyton,  Jefferson  County,  reaching  there 
without  opposition  on  the  2Qth  and  3Oth  of  March. 

Forrest  was  well  aware  of  Wilson's  movements,  but 
was  embarrassed  by  reason  of  a  reported  expedition 
moving  toward  Montgomery  from  the  direction  of 
Pensacola.  On  the  23d  he  directed  Buford  to  repair 
to  Selma,  strengthen  the  pontoon  bridge  there,  and  de 
tach  a  portion  of  his  command  to  meet  the  attack 
coming  from  Pensacola.  Chalmers  was  at  Pickens- 
ville,  Ala.,  and  two  days  before  Wilson  reached  Jas 
per,  Armstrong's  brigade  and  Hudson's  battery  were 
ordered  to  move  by  way  of  the  pontoon  bridge  at 
Finchs  Ferry  toward  Selma.  Starke's  brigade  of  Chal 
mers's  division  followed  the  next  day.  Adams  fol 
lowed  next,  and  Jackson's  division  was  directed  to 
move  by  way  of  Tuscaloosa  and  report  upon  arrival  by 
telegraph  to  the  lieutenant-general  commanding.  Gen 
eral  Taylor  approved  of  this  movement,  for  in  a  des 
patch  from  Meridian  to  Forrest  on  the  26th,  he  says : 
"  In  view  of  movements  from  Moulton  and  Russell- 
ville,  your  order  is  right.  Jackson,  with  his  own  and 
Lyon's  command,  should  meet,  whip,  and  get  rid  of 
that  column  of  the  enemy  as  soon  as  possible." 

General  Taylor  had  ordered  Forrest  to  concentrate 
his  available  forces  upon  Selma,  but  Ross's  brigade 
was  still  at  Corinth  ;  Wirt  Adams  was  on  the  march 
from  Jackson  to  Columbus ;  Bell's  and  Campbell's  bri 
gades,  some  thirty-two  hundred  men,  were  at  West 
Point,  and  it  was  thought  necessary  to  leave  a  brigade 
to  guard  the  line  of  the  Mobile  and  Ohio*  Railroad. 
Hence  Forrest  could  not  expect  to  get  ahead  of  Wilson, 
who  had  dropped  everything  on  wheels  except  artillery, 
at  Jasper,  and  was  moving  with  great  rapidity,  and 
assembled  more  than  sixty-four  hundred  men  in  front 
of  that  city. 


FINAL   CAMPAIGN.  339 

On  the  afternoon  of  March  3Oth,  General  Wilson, 
having  concentrated  his  entire  command  at  Elyton — 
where  the  city  of  Birmingham  now  stands — detached 
Croxton's  brigade,  McCook's  division,  eighteen  hun 
dred  strong,  with  orders  to  proceed  to  Tuscaloosa  to 
burn  the  university,  which  was  semimilitary  in  char 
acter,  and  the  other  public  buildings  and  stores  accu 
mulated  there,  which  was  accomplished  eventually,  but 
not  until  the  3d  of  April.  Afterwardv  Croxton  came  in 
touch  with  the  rear  of  Jackson's  division,  had  a  sharp 
brush  and  made  a  detour  of  forty  miles  northward  of 
Tuscaloosa  and  across  the  Tombigbee  River.  Find 
ing  that  he  was  not  pursued,  he  returned  rapidly,  cap 
tured  the  small  militia  force  guarding  Tuscaloosa  and 
carried  out  his  orders.  He  only  overtook  General 
Wilson  at  Macon,  Ga.,  in  the  latter  part  of  May. 

Meantime  the  main  movement  under  General  Wil 
son  was  pressed  forward  with  the  utmost  vigor.  On 
the  afternoon  of  March  3Oth,  Upton's  division  floored 
the  bridge  over  the  little  river,  at  or  near  Hillsboro, 
and  pressed  on  to  Montevallo,  and  in  the  evening  en 
countered  a  small  force  of  Confederates  under  Gen 
erals  Dan  Adams  and  Roddey.  Roddey's  small  division 
had  been  to  Selma  to  join  in  the  movement  to  repel 
the  Federal  column  coming  from  Pensacola,  but  was 
ordered  back  fifty  miles  to  Montevallo  to  join  General 
Dan  Adams,  commanding  militia,  and  had  reached  the 
place  by  a  forced  march  in  one  day.  Adams  and  Rod 
dey  were  easily  driven  through  the  town,  and  the  Fed 
eral  commander  destroyed  four  iron  furnaces,  a  roll 
ing-mill,  and  five  collieries  in  the  neighborhood.  The 
other  two  Federal  divisions  arrived  next  day,  the  3ist, 
and  also  General  Wilson.  The  Confederates  rallied, 
and  were  again  engaged  by  Upton's  division,  were 
soon  worsted  and  driven  back  toward  Randolph  to 
the  "  Six-Mile  Creek,"  where  Roddey  was  reenforced 


340  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

by  Crossland's  small  brigade  of  Kentuckians,  who 
made  a  very  gallant  defense,  and  even  returned  the 
charge  made  by  the  splendid  Federal  regiments. 

Crossland  kept  up  the  unequal  contest  for  some  time, 
but  finally  had  to  remount  in  the  face  of  a  charge  and 
retreat  as  best  he  could  with  a  loss  of  about  one  hun 
dred  men  in  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners.  Falling 
back,  he  found  and  rejoined  Roddey's  brigade.  For 
rest,  riding  rapidly  from  Centreville  toward  Monte- 
vallo  with  his  staff  and  escort,  came  within  sight  of 
the  road  where  this  conflict  had  been  fought,  and  saw 
it  filled  with  Federal  cavalry  moving  southward  at  a 
heavy  trot.  Forming  his  little  command  of  about  sev 
enty-five  into  fours,  he  dashed  into  and  through  the 
column,  and  turning  upon  the  segment  northward, 
drove  it  half  a  mile  and  came  upon  a  heavy  line  of 
battle.  Changing  direction  southward  he  found  abun 
dant  evidence  of  the  recent  fight,  including  fifteen  or 
twenty  dead  Federals  and  ten  or  fifteen  of  Crossland's 
Kentuckians.  Capturing  a  few  prisoners  he  learned 
particulars  of  the  fight  and  also  the  fact  that  Wilson 
was  south  of  him,  pressing  Crossland  and  Roddey  to 
ward  Selma.  In  his  own  affair  in  the  center  of  the 
Federal  column  he  had  lost  three  men.  Leaving  the 
road,  he  made  a  rapid  ride  of  six  or  eight  miles,  find 
ing  Roddey  and  Crossland  about  ten  o'clock  at  night 
in  front  of  the  enemy  near  Randolph.  Forrest  des 
patched  an  order  to  Jackson,  supposed  to  be  at  Scotts- 
ville,  to  move  across  to  Centreville,  attack  Wilson's 
flank,  harass  him  as  much  as  possible,  and  effect  a 
junction  before  they  were  forced  into  Selma.  Report 
ing  to  General  Taylor  at  Selma,  he  learned  that  Chal 
mers  was  twenty  miles  southward  of  Randolph,  and 
requested  by  telegraph  that  the  division  be  sent  to  his 
aid,  to  delay  the  enemy  in  reaching  Selma,  and  give 
time  for  concentration  there  and  the  removal  of  stores. 


FINAL   CAMPAIGN.  341 

During  the  night  of  the  3ist,  despatches  from  General 
Jackson  and  from  Major  Anderson,  of  Forrest's  staff, 
were  intercepted,  which  divulged  to  General  Wilson 
all  of  Forrest's  important  plans  and  the  location  of  his 
forces.  And  on  the  morning  of  the  ist  of  April  Wilson 
took  prompt  measures  to  check  the  steps  taken  for 
his  undoing.  Learning  of  Jackson's  whereabouts,  he 
detached  McCook  with  ample  force  to  prevent  an  at 
tack  in  his  rear.  McCook  found  Jackson,  but  not  Crox- 
ton,  as  he  had  expected,  captured  the  small  force  at 
Centreville,  burned  the  bridge,  and  fell  back,  leaving 
Jackson  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  and  preventing 
him  from  joining  Forrest  in  the  fighting  which  oc 
curred  soon  afterward.  Forrest  learned  that  Chalmers 
was  not  southward  on  the  Plantersville  road,  as  he 
supposed,  but  was  really  northward,  moving  by  a  dif 
ferent  route  to  the  left. 

Wilson  was  soon  aware  of  the  situation  and  the 
weakness  of  the  force  in  his  front.  He  had  fully  nine 
thousand  men,  and  could  press  on  to  Selma.  Forrest 
was  at  the  front  with  about  thirteen  hundred  men,  in 
cluding  his  escort,  portions  of  Roddey's  and  Cross- 
land's  brigades,  two  hundred  men  who  had  been  de 
tailed  from  Armstrong's  brigade,  and  some  militia 
that  had  been  on  duty  at  Montevallo  under  General 
Dan  Adams.  Chalmers  sent  word  that  he  was  mak 
ing  every  exertion  to  reach  Dixie  Station,  a  point 
southward.  Jackson  was  cut  off  and  could  not  be 
heard  from.  Forrest  was  furious  at  the  slow  move 
ment  of  Chalmers's  division.  Chalmers  was  with 
Starke's  brigade,  marching  eastward,  and  Armstrong 
on  a  parallel  road.  A  despatch  from  Forrest  to  Chal 
mers  urging  him  to  reach  Plantersville  with  all  haste 
passed  through  Armstrong's  hands,  and  without  wait 
ing  for  orders  he  swept  on  and  reached  Forrest  just 
at  dark. 


342  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

In  the  meantime,  April  1st,  Forrest  had  selected 
a  strong  position  at  a  crossing  on  Boglers  Creek. 
There  were  rugged  banks  at  that  point  and  high  ridges 
commanding  the  approaches  from  Randolph  and  Ma- 
plesville.  The  entire  force,  not  over  fifteen  hundred 
men,  with  six  guns,  was  advantageously  placed  in  line 
of  battle.  At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  Federals 
came  up  and  resolutely  assailed  the  right  of  Roddey's 
position,  the  advance  being  made  in  fine  style  by  a 
battalion  of  the  Seventy-second  Indiana,  mounted, 
with  drawn  sabers.  This  created  some  confusion,  but 
Forrest  with  his  escort  dashed  to  that  point  of  the 
field  and  succeeded  in  restoring  the  lines,  and  returned 
to  his  artillery  in  the  center.  Several  Federals  were 
killed  and  wounded  during  the  charge.  Nearly  at  the 
same  time  four  companies  of  the  Seventeenth  Indiana 
made  a  reckless  and  brilliant  charge  down  the  road 
with  sabers  high  in  air.  Forrest  took  position  with 
his  escort  and  Grassland's  brigade,  and  ordered  his 
men  to  reserve  the  firing  of  their  rifles  until  the  enemy 
were  within  one  hundred  yards  of  their  position,  then 
to  draw  their  revolvers,  one  in  each  hand,  and  charge 
in  among  their  assailants. 

These  orders  were  obeyed,  and  a  desperate  conflict 
ensued,  the  Federal  troopers  using  sabers  almost  en 
tirely  and  Forrest's  men  Spencer  rifles  and  revolvers. 
Forrest  and  his  escort  and  ftwo  companies  of  Cross- 
land's  Kentuckians,  under  Captain  H.  A.  Tyler,  met 
force  with  force,  and  mingled  with  their  gallant  foes  in  a 
death  struggle  for  victory.  Being  a  conspicuous  figure, 
General  Forrest  was  often  recognized  at  close  quarters, 
and  drew  the  fire  and  the  bright  blades  of  his  foemen. 
On  this  occasion  he  was  in  the  center  and  received 
marked  attention.  The  charge  came  on  with  tremen 
dous  force,  and  the  Confederates,  in  spite  of  their 
impetuous  counter-charge,  were  pressed  back  into  very 


FINAL   CAMPAIGN.  343 

close  quarters.  Several  troopers  singled  out  the  Con 
federate  leader  and  closed  in  on  him.  Five  or  six  were 
slashing  or  shooting  at  him  at  one  time.  One  of  them 
knocked  a  pistol  from  his  hand  with  a  saber,  but  was 
shot  by  a  Confederate  private. 

Forrest  was  wounded  in  two  or  three  places,  though 
not  dangerously,  and  worsted  two  or  three  of  his  as 
sailants.  One  of  these,  more  persistent  than  the 
others,  a  young  captain,  Taylor  of  the  Seventeenth 
Indiana,  was  shot  dead  by  Forrest.  The  general's 
horse  was  wounded,  but  able  to  carry  him  away.  Cap 
tain  Boone,  of  the  escort,  and  five  of  his  men  were 
wounded.  The  fierceness  of  the  Federal  charge  can 
be  realized  from  the  following  incident :  One  trooper's 
horse,  perhaps  running  away,  dashed  through  the  Con 
federate  line  and,  striking  the  wheel  of  a  gun,  broke 
it  from  the  spindle  and  was  fatally  injured;  the  rider 
was  killed  by  a  single  blow  of  an  artillerist  with  a  gun- 
stick,  and  another  was  knocked  from  his  horse.  The 
caissons  were  carried  off,  but  the  section  of  artillery 
was  abandoned.  Some  two  hundred  State  troops  were 
lost  as  prisoners.  The  Federals  lost  in  the  charge 
twelve  killed  and  forty  wounded.*  The  Confederate 
loss  was  only  twelve  or  fifteen. 

Adams's  men  not  captured  and  a  part  of  Roddey's 
command  fled  from  the  field.  Forrest  with  staff  and 
the  escort,  now  under  Lieutenant  Cowan,  made  another 
stand  at  a  creek  and  checked  the  advance  of  a  Federal 
squadron.  Roddey,  having  collected  three  or  four  hun 
dred  of  his  best  men,  was  ordered  to  cover  the  retreat 
as  best  he  could,  but  was  soon  afterward  pressed  off 
the  road  and  the  pursuit  was  kept  up  vigorously  on 
the  road  to  Plantersville,  nineteen  miles  from  Selma. 
There  was  a  running  fight  nearly  all  the  way.  Mean- 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xlix,  part  i,  p.  406. 
23 


344  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

time  General  Forrest,  suffering  greatly  from  his 
wounds  and  chafing,  at  the  absence  of  Chalmers,  rode 
rapidly  to  that  point,  where  he  found  General  Adams 
and  some  of  his  men.  The  Confederates  had  been 
forced  back  twenty-four  miles  since  daylight.  Forrest 
had  only  time  to  telegraph  the  state  of  affairs  to  Gen 
eral  Taylor  when  the  advance  of  the  persistent  Union 
troopers  dashed  down  upon  Adams's  men,  who  were 
drawing  rations  of  forage  and  subsistence,  and  drove 
them  away  in  a  panic  as  quick  as  they  could  mount 
their  horses.  Forrest,  however,  rallied  his  ever-faith 
ful  escort,  and  by  prompt  use  of  his  Spencer  rifles  drove 
the  attacking  party  back  on  the  main  body  of  the  ad 
vance  under  General  Winslow.  This  spirited  little  en 
gagement  occurred  about  sunset,  and  was  the  last  of 
that  eventful  day. 

Supposing  that  Roddey  and  the  rear-guard  had 
been  captured,  Forrest  directed  Adams  to  fall  back  that 
night  to  Selma  with  his  forces,  while  he  with  his  escort, 
now  greatly  reduced  by  detail  for  special  duty  and 
casualties,  would  go  in  search  of  Chalmers.  Five  miles 
westward  from  Plantersville,  on  the  Marion  road,  he 
was  surprised  to  come  upon  Roddey  and  his  command 
making  their  way  toward  Selma.  About  IIP.  M.  he 
found  Armstrong  with  his  brigade  at  a  halt,  awaiting 
Chalmers,  who  was  supposed  to  be  six  or  eight  miles 
away,  advancing  on  a  bad  road  which  ran  through  a 
swamp  and  was  crossed  by  ugly  streams.  Armstrong 
was  ordered  to  hasten  on  to  Selma,  and  orders  were 
sent  to  Chalmers  to  press  on  in  the  same  direction  with 
Starke's  brigade  even  if  he  had  to  abandon  his  artillery. 
It  was  explained  afterward  that  Chalmers's  division 
had  been  detained  in  crossing  the  Black  Warrior,  and 
for  other  unavoidable  reasons,  and  that  he  had  diverged 
from  his  intended  line  of  march  toward  Randolph  in 
the  hope  of  rinding  better  roads  for  his  artillery  and 


FINAL   CAMPAIGN.  345 

trains.  Hence  the  division  was  a  day  later  than  For 
rest  expected.  The  cause  of  Jackson's  apparent  tardi 
ness — the  burning  of  a  bridge  over  the  Cahaba  River, 
after  he  had  had  a  sharp  and  rather  successful  en 
counter  with  Croxton — has  already  been  mentioned. 
It  was  2  A.  M.  when  General  Forrest,  suffering  from 
his  wounds  and  worn  down  from  hard  riding  and  right 
ing,  paused  to  give  himself  and  escort  a  few  hours' 
needed  rest. 

Rising  early  on  the  morning  of  the  2d,  they  rode 
hastily  toward  Selma,  and  reached  that  place  at  10 
A.  M.  The  town  was  in  a  state  of  wild  confusion. 
Trains  of  cars  filled  with  stores  and  prisoners  were 
leaving  westward  for  Demopolis,  and  steamers  at  the 
landing  were  being  loaded  with  freight  to  be  sent  up 
the  river  to  Montgomery.  The  streets  were  full  of 
wagons  and  drays,  the  people  were  greatly  excited, 
and  troopers  were  dashing  about  in  all  directions.  Gen 
eral  Taylor,  department  commander,  was  in  the  act  of 
leaving  by  rail  with  a  train  of  ordnance  and  subsistence 
supplies,  but  remained  until  2  P.  M.,  and,  in'  leaving,  at 
the  urgent  request  of  Forrest,  narrowly  escaped  the 
rapidly  approaching  Federal  cavalry.  Selma,  a  pic 
turesque  little  city  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Alabama 
River,  and  one  hundred  feet  above  it,  had  been  up  to 
that  time  one  of  the  chief  centers  in  the  west  for  arse 
nals,  depots,  and  ordnance  foundries  for  the  Confed 
erate  army  and  navy.  The  place  was  protected  by  a 
double  line  of  works  in  the  shape  of  a  horseshoe,  the 
points  touching  the  river  north  and  south.  The  ex 
terior  line  had  a  trace  of  nearly  four  miles  with  bas 
tions,  ditches,  and  palisades,  requiring  a  strong  force 
for  proper  defense.  There  was  an  interior  line  not 
finished  or  tenable.  The  batteries  were  supplied  with 
only  twenty  rounds  of  ammunition,  mostly  Babbitt 
shot.  Armstrong's  brigade,  fourteen  hundred  and 


34^  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    FORREST. 

thirty-two  strong,  was  placed  on  the  left  or  southwest, 
and  in  order  to  fill  the  space  assigned  to  it  the  men 
had  to  be  deployed  almost  as  a  skirmish  line.  Roddey 
was  placed  on  the  right,  the  militia  in  the  center,  and 
Forrest,  with  his  escort  and  Kentuckians,  took  a  posi 
tion  to  the  rear  of  the  militia.  The  entire  force  for  de 
fense  did  not  exceed  thirty-one  hundred  men  rank  and 
file,  although  Forrest  had  endeavored  to  force  every 
free,  able-bodied  male  citizen  into  the  ranks,  declaring 
that  all  such  must  go  into  the  works  or  into  the  river. 
With  such  a  mixed  command  of  veterans,  militia,  and 
fresh  levies,  he  made  a  hopeless  show  of  defending 
Selma  against  the  magnificent  force  which  appeared 
in  his  front  at  two  o'clock. 

General  Wilson  had  moved  out  from  Plantersville 
at  daylight  that  morning  with  Long's  division  in  front, 
followed  next  by  Upton,  and  marched  directly  upon 
Selma  without  meeting  any  opposition,  and  soon  after 
2  P.  M.  his  skirmishers  were  engaged  in  front  of  the 
place.  His  entire  force  was  present,  except  Croxton's 
brigade  and  McCook's,  with  La  Grange's  brigade, 
which  had  been  detached.  Making  a  careful  recon 
naissance  with  division  commanders,  General  Wilson 
was  gratified  to  find  that  a  sketch  furnished  him  by 
an  English  engineer  who  had  been  engaged  in  the  con 
struction  of  the  works  was  entirely  reliable.  Thus  he 
was,  no  doubt,  better  informed  as  to  the  plans  of  the 
fortifications  than  General  Forrest.  Jackson's  division, 
and  Chalmers  with  Starke's  brigade,  were  somewhere 
in  the  rear  and  to  the  right  of  Wilson's  column.  Hence 
the  alert  commander,  sure  now  of  sweeping  all  before 
him,  disposed  his  forces  with  celerity  for  a  prompt 
assault.  General  Long  threw  out  one  regiment  to  pro 
tect  his  horse-holders  and  pack-trains,  and  formed  the 
remainder  of  his  division,  forty-five  hundred  strong, 
in  a  piece  of  woodland  behind  a  low  ridge  in  Arm- 


FINAL   CAMPAIGN.  347 

strong's  front.  Upton's  division  was  rapidly  placed 
in  position  to  the  left  and  east — all  dismounted  except 
Alexander's  brigade. 

About  5  P.  M.  a  piece  of  Armstrong's  artillery 
opened  fire  upon  the  Federals  forming  for  assault,  and 
soon  after  all  of  Armstrong's  artillery  opened  fire,  but 
without  perceptible  effect.  The  enemy  quickly  brought 
up  a  battery  and  replied  rapidly  but  harmlessly,  as 
their  aim  was  too  high.  After  some  apparent  delay, 
the  Federals  advanced  in  three  lines  at  half-past  five 
o'clock.  Long  in  person  led  the  charge  on  Armstrong's 
brigade,  and  met  with  such  resistance  that  he  lost  over 
three  hundred  men  killed  and  wounded  in  a  few  min 
utes,  and  \vas  himself  wounded  with  two  or  three  of 
his  brigade  commanders  and  four  colonels.  Upton 
moved  forward  at  the  same  time  on  the  center  and 
soon  found  a  gap  made  by  the  flying  militia.  For 
rest  endeavored  in  vain  to  stem  the  tide  of  retreat, 
which  left  Armstrong's  right  exposed,  until  Roddey 
could  be  transferred  from  the  right.  But  the  Federals 
swept  on  with  irresistible  force  until  both  Armstrong 
and  Roddey  were  driven  within  the  second  and 
weaker  line  of  works,  where  they  were  soon  flanked 
right  and  left,  cut  asunder,  and  threatened  from  the 
rear. 

The  militia  threw  away  their  arms  and  made  good 
time  to  their  horses.  Armstrong  withdrew  toward  the 
city  in  regular  order  but  with  severe  loss.  The  last  to 
leave  was  Pinson's  First  Mississippi  Cavalry,  the  colo 
nel  of  which  was  captured  with  a  portion  of  his  regi 
ment.  Forrest  advised  all  to  get  away  as  best  they 
could,  and  with  his  escort  and  a  number  of  men  from 
different  regiments,  moved  out  from  Selma  on  the 
Montgomery  road  toward  Burnsville,  not,  however, 
without  an  encbunter  with  a  Federal  force  in  which  he 
cut  down  a  cavalryman.  Armstrong  soon  followed 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

with  a  small  force,  and  likewise  cut  his  way  through 
with  forty  or  fifty  of  his  troopers. 

And  thus  did  Selma,  which  had  so  long  been  the 
granary  and  arsenal  of  the  Confederacy  in  the  south 
west  and  the  objective  point  of  various  Federal  plans 
and  movements,  fall.  The  Confederates  were  weak 
ened  down  and  pursued  by  superior  forces,  yet  if  For 
rest  had  succeeded  in  controlling  his  forces  as  planned, 
and  in  attacking  Wilson  in  front,  flank,  and  rear  as  in 
tended,  a  bloody  battle  would  have  been  fought  and 
the  result  can  only  be  conjectured.  Wilson  outrode 
Forrest's  main  command  to  Selma  and  took  the  place 
by  storm  without  meeting  -effective  resistance.  With 
Forrest's  forces  well  in  hand  there  would  have  been 
a  different  tale  to  tell,  the  great  tragedy  of  a  bloody 
and  useless  battle  only  a  week  before  the  surrender  of 
Lee  at  Appomattox.  Many  valuable  lives  were  thus 
spared  by  what  seemed  a  merciful  mischance  in  the 
last  days  pf  the  Confederacy.  Forrest's  campaigns 
were  at  an  end,  though  he  had  not  surrendered  or  en 
tirely  lost  heart.  The  rest  is  easily  told.  The  end 
came  soon  without  any  further  struggle  or  important 
event  in  the  military  history  of  the  once  invincible 
cavalry  leader  and  his  men. 

Riding  on  in  the  dark  some  three  miles  from  Selma 
with  his  escort,  they  heard  the  screams  of  women,  and 
advancing  to  a  house  found  that  some  Federal  strag 
glers  had  robbed  the  ladies  of  their  jewelry  and  other 
valuables,  and  were  attempting  a  greater  outrage.  The 
miscreants  were  speedily  slain ;  and  another  event  of 
almost  similar  character  occurred  later  in  the  night, 
though  General  Forrest  was  not  present.  General  Wil 
son  had  issued  strict  orders  as  to  the  conduct  of  his 
soldiers,  forbidding  any  to  enter  houses  except  with 
an  officer,  and  then  only  for  legitimate  purposes,  such 
as  taking  necessary  supplies.  Farther  on  that  night  a 


FINAL  CAMPAIGN.  349 

squadron  of  the  Fourth  Regulars,  a  regiment  noted 
for  fighting  and  foraging,  was  discovered  camped  in  a 
lot  near  a  residence.  Forrest's  men  requested  him  to 
remain  with  the  horse-holders  while  they  went  forward 
to  capture  the  party.  The  Federals  were  on  the  alert, 
and  opened  fire,  wounding  Lieutenant  Cowan  and 
others,  and  drove  back  the  Confederates ;  but  the  latter 
rallied,  sent  around  a  flanking  party,  and  killed  or 
captured  nearly  all  the  men  in  the  lot,  some  twenty-five 
in  number.  The  house  was  afterward  burned  in  re 
taliation,  though  the  owner,  a  Mr.  Godwin,  was  sev 
eral  miles  away  at  the  time  of  the  fight.  Forrest  and 
his  escort  arrived  at  Plantersville  early  on  the  morn 
ing  of  the  3d  of  April,  where  he  found  a  Federal  hos 
pital  in  charge  of  Dr.  McGraw,  of  General  Wilson's 
staff,  with  one  hundred  wounded  brought  there  after 
the  affair  at  Dixie  Station.  The  courtesies  extended 
by  the  Confederates  were  recognized  afterward  by 
General  Wilson,  in  an  order  dated  April  8,  1865,  in 
which  he  says :  "  Out  of  the  stock  .  .  .  select  twenty- 
five  horses  to  be  turned  over  to  the  Confederate  sur 
geons  to  replace  those  taken  from  them.  General 
Forrest  allowed  our  surgeons  to  retain  their  horses, 
and  this  is  a  reciprocal  act  of  courtesy."* 

Remaining  a  few  hours  to  give  his  worn-out  men 
and  animals  time  for  food  and  rest,  he  resumed  the  line 
of  retreat  toward  Marion,  but  had  gone  scarcely  a  mile 
when  he  came  in  contact  with  the  advance  of  McCook's 
brigade.  In  pursuance  of  old  tactics  he  promptly 
charged  upon  the  enemy  and  killed,  wounded,  and  cap 
tured  about  twenty.  But  the  odds  were  too  great,  and 
he  quickly  took  to  the  woods  by  the  left  flank  and 
made  good  his  escape.  Pushing  on  all  night,  and 
crossing  the  Cahaba  River,  he  reached  Marion  at 

*  Rebellion  Records,  vol.  xlix,  part  ii,  p.  272. 


35O  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

10  A.  M.  on  the  4th  of  April.  There  he  found  Jack 
son's  division,  Chalmers  with  Starke's  brigade,  and 
the  entire  train  and  artillery  that  he  had  brought  from 
Mississippi.  Having  been  in  the  saddle  with  little  rest 
for  seven  days  and  nights,  with  meager  food  for  men 
and  horses,  he  called  a  halt  and  remained  in  the  neigh 
borhood  of  Marion  about  ten  days,  having  no  idea  of 
leaving  his  department  to  pursue  and  harass  General 
Wilson,  as  that  officer  seemed  to  apprehend.  The  war 
was  over.* 

On  the  1 5th  of  April,  General  Forrest  removed  his 
headquarters  and  force  to  Gainesville,  Ala.,  where  ru 
mors  soon  began  to  come  of  General  Lee's  surrender. 
The  men  were  greatly  depressed,  for  they  had  been 
imbued  with  the  hopeful  spirit  and  fiery  impetuosity  of 
their  commander,  but  Forrest  was  incredulous  and  the 
last  to  be  convinced.  On  the  25th  of  April  he  issued 
a  stirring  yet  pathetic  address  to  his  men  compliment 
ing  their  heroic  conduct  on  many  victorious  fields,  and 
appealing  to  them  to  be  patient  and  do  their  duty  until 
the  truth  or  falsity  of  all  reports  in  circulation  could 
be  determined,  and  closed  by  saying :  "  Preserve  un 
tarnished  the  reputation  you  have  so  nobly  won,  and 
leave  the  results  to  Him  who  in  wisdom  controls  and 

*  "Wilson  moved  with  twelve  thousand  men,  well  equipped 
and  well  armed.  He  was  an  energetic  officer  and  accomplished 
his  work  rapidly.  Forrest  was  in  his  front,  but  with  neither  his 
old-time  army  nor  his  old-time  prestige.  He  now  had  princi 
pally  conscripts.  His  conscripts  were  generally  old  men  and 
boys.  He  had  a  few  thousand  regular  cavalry  left,  but  not 
enough  to  even  retard  materially  the  progress  of  Wilson.  Selma 
fell  on  the  2d  of  April  .  .  .  Macon  surrendered  on  the  2ist  of 
April.  Here  news  was  received  of  the  negotiations  for  the  sur 
render  of  Johnston's  army.  Wilson  belonged  to  the  military 
division  commanded  by  Sherman,  and  of  course  was  bound  by 
its  terms.  This  stopped  all  ^fighting." — Personal  Memoirs  of 
U.  S.  Grant,  vol.  ii,  p.  521. 


FINAL   CAMPAIGN.  351 

governs  all  things."  Five  days  later  he  received  word 
from  General  Richard  Taylor  that  he  had  entered  into 
an  agreement  with  General  Canby  for  the  cessation 
of  hostilities  on  the  same  terms  as  agreed  upon  be 
tween  General  Sherman  and  General  Joseph  E.  Johns 
ton.  On  the  6th  of  May  an  official  circular  announced 
the  surrender  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  on 
the  9th  of  April,  and  later  the  surrender  of  General 
Johnston.  On  the  Qth  of  May,  Brigadier-General  E. 
S.  Dennis,  commissioner  to  execute  paroles,  reached 
Gainesville.  General  Jackson  was  appointed  commis 
sioner  for  the  Confederates  to  authenticate  muster-rolls 
and  supervise  the  work.  This  occupied  several  days. 
Duplicate  muster-rolls  were  made  out  for  each  com 
missioner.  The  men  signed  the  paroles,  and  the  offi 
cers  were  required  to  sign  duplicate  obligations.  The 
men,  at  first  greatly  downcast,  now  realized  that  the 
long,  weary,  desperately  fought  war  was  over,  and 
were  seized  with  an  eager  desire  to  secure  their  paroles 
and  return  to  their  homes  or  the  places  that  had  been 
such.  General  Dennis  proved  to  be  a  most  genial  and 
courteous  gentleman  who  had  a  comrade-like  cheerful 
ness  about  him  that  was  contagious.  On  the  day  of 
his  arrival  General  Forrest  issued  the  following  ad 
dress  to  his  troops,  characteristic  both  of  the  heart 
and  brain  of  the  man : 

HEADQUARTERS  FORREST'S  CAVALRY  CORPS, 
GAINESVILLE,  ALA.,  May  9,  1865. 

SOLDIERS  :  By  an  agreement  made  between  Lieuten- 
ant-General  Taylor,  commanding  the  Department  of  Ala 
bama,  Mississippi,  and  east  Louisiana,  and  Major-Gen 
eral  Canby,  commanding  United  States  forces,  the  troops 
of  this  department  have  been  surrendered. 

I  do  not  think  it  proper  or  necessary,  at  this  time,  to 
refer  to  the  causes  which  have  reduced  us  to  this  extrem 
ity;  nor  is  it  now  a  matter  of  material  consequence  to  us 


352  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

how  such  results  were  brought  about.  That  we  are 
beaten  is  a  self-evident  fact,  and  further  resistance  on  our 
part  would  be  justly  regarded  as  the  very  height  of  folly 
and  rashness. 

The  armies  of  Generals  Lee  and  Johnston  having  sur 
rendered,  you  are  the  last  of  all  the  troops  of  the  Confed 
erate  States  army,  east  of  the  Mississippi  River,  to  lay 
down  your  arms. 

The  cause  for  which  you  have  so  long  and  so  manfully 
struggled,  and  for  which  you  have  braved  dangers,  en 
dured  privations  and  sufferings,  and  made  so  many  sacri 
fices,  is  to-day  hopeless.  The  Government  which  we 
sought  to  establish  and  perpetuate  is  at  an  end.  Reason 
dictates  and  humanity  demands  that  no  more  blood  be 
shed.  Fully  realizing  and  feeling  that  such  is  the  case, 
it  is  your  duty  and  mine  to  lay  down  our  arms — submit 
to  the  "  powers  that  be  " — and  to  aid  in  restoring  peace 
and  establishing  law  and  order  throughout  the  land. 

The  terms  upon  which  you  have  surrendered  are  fa 
vorable,  and  should  be  satisfactory  and  acceptable  to  all. 
They  manifest  a  spirit  of  magnanimity  and  liberality  on 
the  part  of  the  Federal  authorities  which  should  be  met, 
on  our  part,  by  a  faithful  compliance  with  all  the  stipula 
tions  and  conditions  therein  expressed.  As  your  com 
mander,  I  sincerely  hope  that  every  officer  and  soldier 
of  my  command  will  cheerfully  obey  the  orders  given, 
and  carry  out  in  good  faith  all  the  terms  of  the  cartel. 

Those  who  neglect  the  terms  and  refuse  to  be  paroled, 
may  assuredly  expect,  when  arrested,  to  be  sent  North  and 
imprisoned. 

Let  those  who  are  absent  from  their  commands,  from 
whatever  cause,  report  at  once  to  this  place,  or  to  Jackson, 
Miss.;  or,  if  too  remote  from  either,  to  the  nearest  United 
States  post  or  garrison,  for  parole. 

Civil  war,  such  as  you  have  just  passed  through,  natu 
rally  engenders  feeling  of  animosity,  hatred,  and  revenge. 
It  is  our  duty  to  divest  ourselves  of  all  such  feelings; 
and,  as  far  as  in  our  power  to  do  so,  to  cultivate  friendly 
feelings  toward  those  with  whom  we  have  so  long  con 
tended,  and  heretofore  so  widely,  but  honestly,  differed. 


FINAL   CAMPAIGN.  353 

Neighborhood  feuds,  personal  animosities,  and  private 
differences  should  be  blotted  out;  and  when  you  return 
home,  a  manly,  straightforward  course  of  conduct  will 
secure  the  respect  even  of  your  enemies.  Whatever  your 
responsibilities  may  be  to  government,  to  society,  or  to 
individuals,  meet  them  like  men. 

The  attempt  made  to  establish  a  separate  and  inde 
pendent  confederation  has  failed;  but  the  consciousness 
of  having  done  your  duty  faithfully  and  to  the  end,  will 
in  some  measure  repay  for  the  hardships  you  have  under 
gone. 

In  bidding  you  farewell,  rest  assured  that  you  carry 
with  you  my  best  wishes  for  your  future  welfare  and 
happiness.  Without  in  any  way  referring  to  the  merits 
of  the  cause  in  which  we  have  been  engaged,  your  cour 
age  and  determination,  as  exhibited  on  many  hard-fought 
fields,  have  elicited  the  respect  and  admiration  of  friend 
and  foe.  And  I  now  cheerfully  and  gratefully  acknowl 
edge  my  indebtedness  to  the  officers  and  men  of  my  com 
mand,  whose  zeal,  fidelity,  and  unflinching  bravery  have 
been  the  great  source  of  my  past  success  in  arms. 

I  have  never,  on  the  field  of  battle,  sent  you  where 
I  was  unwilling  to  go  myself;  nor  would  I  now  advise 
you  to  a  course  which  I  felt  myself  unwilling  to  pursue. 
You  have  been  good  soldiers ;  you  can  be  good  citizens. 
Obey  the  laws,  preserve  your  honor,  and  the  Government 
to  which  you  have  surrendered  can  afford  to  be,  and  will 
be,  magnanimous. 

N.  B.  FORREST,  Lieutenant-General. 

By  the  i6th  of  May  about  eight  thousand  officers 
and  men,  including  six  hundred  of  Scott's  Louisiana 
Cavalry,  had  been  paroled  and  permitted  to  return  to 
the  peaceful  walks  of  life.  After  remaining  at  Gaines 
ville  several  days  after  the  surrender,  to  look  after  the 
disbandment  and  comfort  of  his  men  as  far  as  possible, 
admonishing  them  of  the  importance  and  the  duty  of 
going  home  and  strictly  observing  the  terms  of  their 
paroles,  and  bidding  many  of  them  an  affectionate  fare- 


354  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

well,  General  Forrest  returned  by  rail  by  way  of  Jack 
son  to  Memphis.  In  a  few  days  he  went  down  to  his 
large  plantation  at  Sunflower  Landing,  two  hundred 
and  twenty-five  miles  by  river  below  Memphis,  and  ap 
plied  himself  to  the  new  work  of  life  with  the  energy 
that  he  had  ever  displayed  in  peace  and  in  war.  With 
him  the  war  was  over,  and  he  accepted  the  results  in 
the  spirit  of  a  philosopher,  good  citizen,  and  patriot. 

FORREST'S  STAFF-OFFICERS. 

Forrest  was  a  military  puzzle  in  the  equations  of 
war,  a  strategist  of  great  resources  and  enterprise, 
whether  on  the  aggressive  or  on  a  retreat.  His  general 
policy  was  to  make  his  forces  appear  greater  than  they 
really  were,  and  to  bring  his  entire  available  com 
mand  into  action  at  one  time,  leaving  it  to  be  supposed 
that  he  had  reserves  near  at  hand.  This  audacity  often 
achieved  success,  where  without  it  he  would  have  in 
evitably  failed.  Always  taking  the  lead  in  the  most 
dangerous  places,  he  infused  much  of  the  same  spirit 
into  his  men,  and  could  make  them  effective  in  the 
wild  exhilaration  of  battle  against  far  greater  numbers 
and  higher  military  training.  Then  he  was  quick  to  de 
tect  a  weak  point,  whether  in  the  front  or  on  the  flank 
of  his  opponents,  and  always  seemed  to  delight  in  tak 
ing  desperate  chances.  Nevertheless,  he  was  careful 
of  the  lives  of  his  men,  and  never  exposed  them  without 
seeming  to  be  sanguine  that  the  results  would  justify 
reckless  daring.  Perhaps  no  leader  in  the  civil  war 
threw  himself,  his  staff,  and  escort  oftener  into  the 
thickest  of  the  many  fights  in  which  they  were  en 
gaged. 

He  was  a  fine  judge  of  human  nature,  and  made 
few  or  no  mistakes  in  assigning  officers  and  men  to 
duty.  The  lack  of  early  education,  which  he  keenly 
felt,  seemed  to  quicken  his  instincts  and  judgment. 


FINAL   CAMPAIGN.  355 

The  most  of  his  orders  on  the  field  and  in  camp  were 
dictated  to  members  of  his  staff,  and  he  was  very  ex 
acting  as  to  the  language  used  and  nice  shades  of 
meaning.  His  numerous  orders  and  addresses  are 
models  of  clear,  vigorous  thought  and  pure  English, 
and  compare  favorably  with  the  papers  of  any  general 
on  either  side  in  the  civil  war.  His  regular  staff- 
officers  were  as  follows : 

Major  John  P.  Strange,  of  Memphis,  assistant  ad 
jutant-general,  who  began  as  sergeant-major  of  bat 
talion ;  was  commissioned  July  21,  1862;  was  wounded 
twice ;  taken  prisoner  once  and  held  a  few  months,  and, 
except  this  period,  served  with  Forrest  in  a  close  and 
confidential  capacity  until  the  surrender  at  Gainesville, 
Ala.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  polished  demeanor  and 
dauntless  spirit,  and  had  great  influence  with  his  chief. 
(Dead.) 

Major  Charles  W.  Anderson,  aide-de-camp  and  as 
sistant  inspector-general.  Served  throughout  the  war 
and  now  (1902)  lives  in  Murfreesboro,  Tenn.  He  and 
Major  Strange  wrote  the  most  of  Forrest's  orders  by 
dictation. 

Major  G.  V.  Rambaut,  of  Memphis,  chief  commis 
sary,  appointed  July  21,  1862;  was  a  great  favorite 
with  Forrest  owing  partly,  no  doubt,  to  the  fact  that  he 
never  lost  an  opportunity  to  go  into  a  fight.  Except 
for  a  short  time,  when  held  a  prisoner  of  war,  as  men 
tioned  in  Chapter  VII,  he  served  on  the  staff  through 
out  the  war.  (Died  in  Memphis,  February  29,  1896.) 

Major  George  Dashiell,  now  (1902)  of  Memphis, 
was  transferred  from  Cheatham's  division  of  infantry, 
reported  to  General  Forrest,  January,  1863,  as  chief 
paymaster,  and  served  as  such  for  the  remainder  of 
the  war. 

Major  C.  S.  Severson,  chief  quartermaster,  was  ap 
pointed  November  20,  1861,  and  served  on  the  staff 


35°"  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

in  every  campaign  until  late  in  1864,  when  he  was 
retired.  (Dead.) 

Major  A.  Warren,  now  (1902)  of  Memphis,  after 
serving  for  some  time  under  General  Polk,  was  taken 
prisoner  late  in  1863 ;  exchanged  at  Old  Point  Com 
fort  ;  commissioned  as  quartermaster  with  rank  of 
major  at  Richmond;  reported  to  General  Forrest  early 
in  1864;  succeeded  Major  Severson,  and  served  act 
ively  until  the  end  of  the  war. 

Major  Richard  M.  Mason,  of  Memphis,  who  be 
gan  service  in  the  Quartermaster's  Department  May 
17,  1861,  and  served  under  General  Polk;  was  with 
General  Forrest  as  a  quartermaster  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  war.  (Dead.) 

Matthew  C.  Gallaway,  of  Memphis,  aide-de-camp 
with  rank  of  captain ;  served  with  Forrest  the  last 
three  years  of  the  war. 

Captain  William  M.  Forrest,  aide-de-camp,  served 
throughout  the  war  on  his  father's  staff.  He  entered 
the  service  when  only  fifteen  years  old,  and  saw  as 
much  hard  service  as  any  private  in  the  ranks,  after 
ward  took  a  course  at  the  University  of  Mississippi, 
and  has  since  lived  in  Memphis,  but  early  in  1900 
went  with  his  two  sons  to  Cape  Nome,  Alaska. 

Dr.  James  B.  Cowan,  now  of  Tullahoma,  Tenn. 
(1902),  was  Forrest's  chief  surgeon  with  the  rank  of 
major,  and  served  throughout  the  war  with  noted 
efficiency  and  distinction. 

Captain  John  G.  Mann,  of  Jackson,  Tenn.,  joined 
the  staff  as  chief  engineer  in  1863.  (Died  in  1899.) 

Captain  Charles  S.  Hill,  of  Mississippi,  served  as 
chief  of  ordnance  in  the  latter  part  of  the  war.  (Dead.) 

Lieutenant  Samuel  Donelson,  of  Nashville,  served 
as  aide-de-camp  on  Forrest's  staff  over  two  years,  and, 
like  all  the  rest,  saw  much  hard  service.  Lives  now 
(1902)  in  Washington,  D.  C. 


FINAL   CAMPAIGN.  357 

Various  other  officers  served  from  time  to  time  tran 
siently  but  effectively  on  General  Forrest's  staff,  but 
were  not  enrolled  as  regular  members.  There  were  no 
ornamental  officers  about  his  headquarters  and  no  easy 
places.  All  were  proud  to  be  with  him,  and  ever  ready 
to  endure  the  greatest  fatigue  and  share  the  labors 
and  hazards  of  their  chieftain.  He  was  not  always  a 
cheerful  companion  and  never  an  easy  master.  To  be 
with  him  meant  to  obey  his  slightest  wish  and  conform 
to  his  imperious  will,  especially  on  hard  campaigns 
and  on 'the  danger  line.  Staff-officers,  clerks,  and  all 
attaches  took  guns  to  go  into  fights. 

At  trie  end  of  a  hard  march  or  after  a  battle  he 
became  morose  and  unapproachable  for  a  time ;  but  he 
had  remarkable  recuperative  power,  and  after  a  few 
hours'  rest  would  be  up  and  as  busy  and  genial  among 
his  men  as  if  a  cloud  of  doubt  or  anger  had  never  cast 
a  shadow  over  his  kindly  face. 

Forrest  was  a  very  temperate  man.  "  He  once 
said,  in  the  writer's  presence :  '  I  was  never  drunk  but 
once  in  my  life.  I  had  observed  the  antics  of  a  drunken 
man,  and  a  strange  fancy  to  try  a  spell  of  it  took  pos 
session  of  me.  I  got  the  liquor  and  drank  it  one  after 
noon.  What  happened  as  a  consequence  I  do  not 
know,  but  when  I  got  over  the  spree  I  found  myself 
with  a  burning  case  of  typhoid  fever.  I  promised 
"  Old  Master  "  that  if  he  would  let  me  up  from  that 
bed  I  would  never  get  drunk  again.  And  I  never 
broke  that  pledge.'  "  * 

*  MS.  from  J.  P.  Young,  in  possession  of  author. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

GENERAL    FORREST    AFTER    THE    WAR. A    QUIET,    DIGNI 
FIED      CITIZEN. DEATH      AT      THE      EARLY     AGE      OF 

FIFTY-SIX. SOME    REMINISCENCES    AND    COMMENTS 

IN  REGARD  TO  HIS  CIVIL  AND  MILITARY  CAREER. 

WHEN  the  war  closed  General  Forrest  was  not 
quite  forty-four  years  old.  He  appeared  to  be  still  a 
vigorous  man,  but  the  great  mental  and  physical  strain 
through  which  he  had  passed  no  doubt  impaired  his 
vitality  and  shortened  his  days.  Unlike  so  many  of  the 
Confederate  leaders,  he  was  not  well  equipped  to  enter 
the  field  of  politics  or  any  of  the  learned  professions. 
The  great  majority  were  men  of  education,  and  could 
appear  to  advantage  upon  the  forum,  while  this  hero  of 
a  hundred  battles  was  conscious  of  his  deficiencies  and 
want  of  early  opportunities.  His  name  was  mentioned 
sometimes  in  connection  with  the  gubernatorial  chair 
and  other  honors,  but  not  with  his  encouragement  or 
consent,  for  he  was  content  to  enter  again  upon  the 
peaceful  pursuits  of  a  private  citizen,  to  share  the 
fortunes  and  misfortunes  of  a  defeated  people.  Ac 
cepting  the  situation  in  its  fullest  sense,  he  started  life 
anew.  President  Johnson  granted  Forrest  an  amnesty 
July  17,  1868,  but  even  this  opened  no  way  for  him 
to  public  life  if  he  had  been  so  inclined,  for  all  ex- 
Confederate  soldiers  and  Southern  sympathizers  of 
legal  age  to  vote  in  Tennessee  had  been  disfranchised 
for  a  period  of  fifteen  years  by  a  constitutional  amend 
ment,  and  their  disabilities  were  not  removed  until  1870. 
35S 


GENERAL  FORREST  AFTER  THE  WAR.    359 

A  plantation  of  three  thousand  acres  of  tillable  land 
afforded  ample  scope  for  the  energies  of  any  man,  and 
upon  this  Forrest  went  to  work  with  his  usual  reso 
luteness.  He  formed  a  partnership  with  Major  Dif- 
fenbocher,  an  ex-Federal  officer  from  Minnesota.  His 
old  negroes  who  had  been  run  off  to  Georgia  during 
the  war,  and  some  others  whom  he  had  set  free  be 
fore  the  war,  returned  to  him  and  became  faithful  and 
useful  laborers.*  A  large  force  of  discharged  colored 
soldiers  was  also  employed,  but  the  conditions  of 
labor  were  so  greatly  changed  that  planting  was  not 
the  same  as  in  former  times.  An  incident  serves  to 
illustrate  the  prevailing  state  of  affairs  on  Southern 
plantations : 

One  day  the  general,  who  never  failed  to  respond 
to  a  cry  of  distress,  heard  a  female  voice  pleading  in 
one  of  the  cabins,  followed  by  loud  cries.  Rushing  to 
the  door,  he  entered,  and  found  a  powerful  negro 
beating  his  wife  with  a  club  and  evidently  attempting 
to  kill  the  prostrate  woman.  He  called  to  the  negro 
to  stop,  but  was  not  heeded.  With  one  blow  of  his 
foot  he  kicked  the  fiend  off  his  victim.  Recovering 
himself,  the  negro  seized  an  ax,  and,  thoroughly  in 
furiated,  turned  on  the  general.  The  latter  was  un 
armed,  and  backed  toward  the  door,  keeping  his  eye 
on  the  advancing  brute.  Watching  his  opportunity 
he  suddenly  sprang  toward  the  negro,  wrenched  the 
ax  from  his  hands,  and  sunk  the  blade  by  a  single 
stroke  in  his  head.  He  then  returned  to  his  house,  and 
was  quickly  followed  there  by  a  squadron  of  negro  ex- 
soldiers,  who,  under  a  rude,  semimilitary  organiza 
tion,  had  gathered  to  avenge  their  comrade's  death. 
As  they  drew  up  in  front  of  the  house,  the  general 

*  Some  of  these  and  their  numerous  descendants  yet  live  in 
that  neighborhood. 
24 


360  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

suddenly  appeared  with  a  pistol  in  each  hand,  and 
sternly  shouted  :  "  Halt !  "  The  negroes  stopped  as  if 
paralyzed.  "  Order  arms !  "  commanded  Forrest,  and 
every  gun  came  down.  "  Ground  arms !  "  he  thun 
dered.  Down  went  the  guns  on  the  ground.  "  Now, 
men,"  he  said,  with  unfaltering  speech,  "  get  out  of 
this  yard  or  I  will  shoot  the  heads  off  every  one  of 
you."  These  men  well  knew  his  marksmanship,  and 
they  were  simply  crushed  under  the  overmastering  will 
power  that  had  once  before  single-handed  rescued  a 
lawbreaker  from  a  raging  mob  which  was  in  the  act  of 
lynching  him,  and  slunk  away  to  their  work  without 
a  protest.  An  examination  was  held  the  following  day 
before  a  negro  magistrate  and  Forrest  was  acquitted. 
There  was  some  talk  of  sending  troops  down  from 
Memphis  to  arrest  him,  but  nothing  came  of  it.  The 
negroes  on  the  plantation  afterward  expressed  their 
approval  of  the  killing,  as  the  one  pu.t  out  of  the  way 
was  a  turbulent,  dangerous  character  whom  most  of 
them  feared. 

While  Forrest  was  still  working  his  plantation  and 
sawmills,  the  New  York  Tribune  called  attention  to 
the  fact  that  Raphael  Semmes,  former  commander  of 
the  Alabama,  had  been  arrested  on  the  charge  of  hav 
ing  violated  the  laws  of  nations  on  the  high  seas,  and 
called  the  attention  of  the  Secretary  of  War  to  the 
fact  that  N.  B.  Forrest  was  still  at  large  in  Mississippi. 
Some  of  Forrest's  friends  in  Memphis,  thinking  that 
he  might  be  incarcerated  and  held  indefinitely,  sent 
him  a  letter  of  credit  and  urged  him  to  go  to  Europe 
and  remain  there  until  the  excitement  should  pass 
away.  Instead  of  accepting  this  well-intended  advice 
and  kindness,  he  returned  the  letter  of  credit,  visited 
Memphis,  called  upon  the  Federal  commandant  and 
stated  that  he  was  observing  the  terms  of  his  parole 
and  obeying  the  laws  of  the  land,  and  proposed  to  share 


GENERAL  FORREST  AFTER  THE  WAR.    361 

whatever  fate  might  befall  the  people  who  had  faced 
the  dangers  and  chances  of  war  with  him.  The  Federal 
officer  politely  assured  him  that  he  thought  there  was 
no  occasion  for  any  anxiety,  but  would  advise  the  gen 
eral  if  it  became  necessary  for  him  to  report  at  head 
quarters.  It  was  a  singular  fact  that  General  Forrest 
was  never  a  prisoner  during  the  war  until  he  surren 
dered  at  Gainesville.  Nor  was  he  ever  indicted  or  ar 
rested  afterward  in  spite  of  the  flood  of  charges  hurled 
against  him.  This  speaks  well  for  the  magnanimity  of 
the  Union  generals,  who,  to  a  great  extent,  influenced 
affairs  and  politics  at  that  critical  period,  and  stood 
firm  against  the  popular  clamor  for  retributive  meas 
ures.  Such  leaders  as  Grant,  and  even  Sherman,  with 
all  his  fierceness  of  nature  when  aroused,  Sheridan, 
Hancock,  Thomas,  Schofield,  Stoneman,  Kilpatrick, 
and  dozens  of  others,  recognized  the  military  genius  of 
Forrest  and  gave  him  full  credit  for  his  achievements 
and  most  troublesome  activity  and  resourcefulness. 
Forrest  had  been  so  uniformly  kind  to  the  many  pris 
oners  who  fell  into  his  hands  that  the  charges  against 
him  as  to  the  Fort  Pillow  affair  were  afterward  re 
garded  as  exaggerations  not  to  be  seriously  sustained 
even  by  a  partizan  press  or  in  the  halls  of  Congress. 
At  the  end  of  two  years  Forrest,  who  really  made 
Memphis  his  home  as  long  as  he  lived  after  the  war, 
sold  out  his  plantation  at  Sunflower  Landing  and 
also  a  smaller  one  in  Tunica  County,  Mississippi,  and 
soon  after  that  he  turned  his  attention  to  a  railroad 
scheme.  Conceiving  the  idea  that  a  line  from  Memphis 
to  Selma,  Ala.,  and  thence  to  some  point  on  the  Gulf 
coast,  would  be  of  great  benefit  to  his  own  city  and  to 
the  people  of  several  Southern  States,  he  took  hold  of 
the  enterprise  with  characteristic  zeal.  It  was  new  work 
to  him,  but  he  had  the  example  and  advice  of  some 
strong  local  railroad  men  and  the  moral  support  of 


362  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

many  impoverished  Southern  people.  Shelby  County 
(Memphis)  voted  a  large  appropriation  to  aid  the  en 
terprise,  and  speakers  were  sent  out  over  the  proposed 
line  to  ask  for  other  appropriations  and  the  right  of 
way.  General  Forrest  soon  brushed  these  aside,  took 
the  field  himself,  and  developed  into  a  strong,  effective 
speaker.  Engineers  surveyed  the  line  and  grading  was 
begun  in  earnest.  Still  Shelby  County  did  not  respond 
promptly  to  the  special  tax  levied  to  build  the  road,  and 
subscriptions  came  in  slowly.  The  people  of  Missis 
sippi  and  Alabama  wanted  the  railroad,  but  the  country 
was  devastated,  and  even  then  the  price  of  cotton — the 
only  crop  that  brought  any  money — began  to  go  down, 
and  merchants  hesitated  about  making  advances  on 
growing  crops. 

Bonds  could  not  be  floated  anywhere  just  then  on 
a  purely  local  enterprise  as  this  was,  and  so  it  fell 
through.  Hon.  Jacob  Thompson  was  sent  to  Europe 
to  endeavor  to  float  the  bonds  of  the  railroad,  and 
after  an  absence  of  about  six  months  had  concluded 
arrangements  when  the  panic  of  1873  swept  over 
the  country  and  his  work  failed.  General  Forrest 
had  risked  a  considerable  fortune  upon  the  undertak 
ing  and  became  personally  liable  for  contracts  and  sup 
plies,  and  gave  up  every  dollar  he  could  command. 
This  left  him  a  poor  man,  and  was  a  great  disappoint 
ment,  not  so  much  on  his  own  account  as  for  others, 
he  being  a  very  liberal  man  and  always  ready  to  help 
the  needy  and  distressed,  especially  the  old  soldiers  and 
the  widows  and  orphans  of  such.  Again  he  had  de 
sired  to  do  something  worthy  of  his  name  and  for  his 
beloved  South.  The  Memphis  and  Selma  Railroad  is 
only  a  reminiscence,  though  a  part  of  the  graded  tracks 
were  afterward  utilized  by  a  trunk  road  running  from 
Memphis  to  Birmingham  and  Atlanta. 

Without  resources  or  strong  combination,  and  the 


,  GENERAL  FORREST  AFTER  THE  WAR.   363 

country  being  still  in  a  disturbed  condition  politically 
and  financially,  he  could  not  have  done  more  than  he 
did.  This  failure  was  another  Appomattox  or  a  Gaines 
ville  to  him,  a  decree  of  hard  fate  which  no  strong  will 
power,  or  gallant  charge,  or  flank  movement,  or  bugle- 
blast  could  change  or  set  aside.  Those  were  dark  days 
for  the  once  fearless  leader,  and  all  the  more  so  because 
many  others  were  involved  and  the  public  was  not 
altogether  lenient  or  sparing  of  criticism,  for  the  star 
that  is  going  down  is  never  so  worshiped  as  the  one 
rising  clear  and  full  of  promise.  Subsequently  General 
Forrest  leased  Presidents  Island,  just  below  Memphis, 
the  largest  island  in  the  Mississippi  River,  and  a  large 
plantation  in  the  northern  part  of  Shelby  County,  and 
worked  these  two  places  successfully  with  convict 
labor,  and  was  so  engaged  when  he  died. 

A  few  incidents  will  serve  to  illustrate  leading  traits 
in  the  life  of  this  extraordinary  man.  Several  times 
he  interposed  to  prevent  mob  violence  or  the  injustice 
of  the  strong  over  the  weak.  The  following  statement 
is  condensed  from  a  copy  of  the  Memphis  Avalanche  of 
August  26,  1866.  That  paper  it  seems  had  severely 
criticized  a  public  officer  named  Wood,  but  in  a  sub 
sequent  issue  the  editor  disclaimed  alluding  to  a  gentle 
man  named  M.  H.  Wood,  of  the  Revenue  Department. 
Still  the  latter  was  not  satisfied,  and  sought  personal 
redress  from  Editor  Gallaway,  who  happened  to  be  at  a 
conference  of  a  Democratic  committee  at  their  head 
quarters.  Wood,  upon  entering  the  room,  became  very 
much  excited,  and  without  any  words  shot  the  editor 
through  the  hand,  using  a  rifled  cane,  and  then  fled, 
shrieking  "  Murder !  "  The  wound  was  very  painful, 
and  but  for  the  fact  that  Gallaway's  hand  turned  the 
bullet,  he  might  have  been  killed.  The  friends  of  the 
assaulted  man  were  greatly  exasperated,  and  soon  had 
Wood  in  custody  and  were  handling  him  in  a  violent 


364  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

manner  when  Forrest  came  along,  and  by  his  inter 
ference  probably  saved  the  man's  life,  and  thus  the 
incident  ended. 

General  Forrest  habitually  joined  his  men  when  in 
camp  in  their  sports,  such  as  running,  jumping,  pitching 
quoits,  playing  marbles,  etc.  He  was  also  very  fond  of 
playing  checkers.  He  was  at  such  times  most  indul 
gent  to  his  troopers,  and  even  permitted  them  to  take 
unusual  liberties  with  him,  answering  their  mischiev 
ous  chatter  in  the  same  vein ;  but  he  never  abated  his 
disciplinary  measures  when  once  decided  upon. 

At  West  Point,  Miss.,  in  March,  1865,  he  had 
issued  orders  that  there  should  be  no  more  gun-firing 
or  horse-racing  in  camp.  The  boys  rebelled.  That 
night  they  wasted  hundreds  of  pounds  of  ammunition. 
The  next  day,  growing  bolder,  a  party  of  daredevils 
rode  up  in  front  of  his  tent  and,  staking  off  a  quarter 
course,  began  racing  their  horses.  The  general,  with 
several  of  his  staff,  watched  the  races,  even  betting  on 
some  of  the  horses.  After  the  race  the  men  drew  up 
in  front  of  his  quarters  and  gave  three  cheers  for  Gen-' 
eral  Forrest.  They  then  rode  off  in  triumph,  and  a 
short  distance  away  were  met  by  a  strong  guard,  ar 
rested,  and  carried  before  the  general,  who  at  once 
had  them  court-martialed  and  severely  punished.  His 
own  son  suffered  the  same  penalty  as  the  rest,  and 
carried  fence-rails  until  his  shoulders  were  sore.  It 
may  be  appropriate  to  remark,  and  his  only  son  bears 
testimony  to  the  fact,  that  while  devoted  to  his  brothers 
and  son  and  keeping  them  as  near  to  himself  as  pos 
sible,  he  never  showed  any  favoritism  to  members  of 
his  family,  but  seemed  rather  to  make  examples  of 
them  as  if  to  indicate  to  others  his  ideas  of  discipline 
and  requirements  in  the  service.  Otherwise  he  was  a 
most  devoted  and  affectionate  brother  and  father. 

On  the  retreat  of  Hood's  armv  from  Tennessee, 


GENERAL  FORREST  AFTER  THE  WAR.   365 

Forrest's  command  brought  up  the  rear  in  support  of 
the  rear-guard  of  infantry  under  Walthall.  As  the 
ragged,  scattered,  barefoot  Confederates  approached 
the  Tennessee  River,  some  heavy  firing  was  heard  in 
front.  This  was  two  small  Federal  gunboats  firing  at 
Hood's  pontoon  bridge,  but  finally  silenced  by  Morton's 
artillery.  Forrest  rode  rapidly  forward  and  overtook 
a  small  train  in  charge  of  a  quartermaster,  of  whom 
he  inquired :  "  Who  is  that  shooting  down  there,  do 
you  know  ?  "  "  No,"  the  quartermaster  answered,  "  I 
don't  know,  but  I  suppose  it  may  be  Old  Forrest.  He 
is  the  only  cavalryman  I  ever  heard  of  fool  enough 
to  tackle  gunboats."  This  was  soon  after  the  fight  at 
Johnsonville.  The  grimy,  grim-visaged  warrior  re 
plied  :  "  Well,  I  know  it  is  not  '  Old  Forrest,'  for  that 
is  the  name  the  boys  call  me."  "  I  beg  your  pardon, 
general,  but  you  have  changed  so  much  since  I  saw  you 
at  Chickamauga  in  a  new  uniform  that  I  did  not  know 
you."  The  general  took  it  good-naturedly  and  rode 
on.  Along  with  the  quartermaster's  train  was  a  private 
soldier,  a  mere  boy,  not  a  member  of  Forrest's  com 
mand,  who  was  riding  a  big  three-year-old  ox.  Several 
hours  later  and  far  in  the  night  the  train  reached  For 
rest's  temporary  headquarters  on  the  roadside,  where  a 
fire  had  been  built.  The  general,  on  the  alert,  as  usual, 
and  watching  everything,  quickly  espied  the  man  on 
the  ox  and  called  him  to  a  halt.  "  What  are  you  doing 
with  that  animal?"  he  asked.  "Just  riding  him, 
general,  to  keep  from  walking  barefoot.  I  belong  to 
your  command  and  lost  my  horse  up  there  near  Nash 
ville."  "  No  you  don't.  You  are  not  one  of  my  old 
command,  for  they  captured  horses  and  not  cattle  from 
the  Yankees.  Get  down  and  go  ahead  the  best  you 
can.  That  steer  will  make  a  good  breakfast  for  one 
of  my  regiments  in  the  morning."  And  so  it  did. 
The  general  was  sympathetic  and  kind  as  possible  with 


366  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

his  men,  as  well  as  thoroughly  practical,  and  shared 
with  them  all  their  hardships  and  dangers.  Like  Napo 
leon  he  usually  slept  on  the  ground  and  ate  the  same 
rations  as  his  soldiers. 

And  his  kindness  extended  to  foes  in  distress  as 
well  as  friends,  as  one  striking  incident  will  illus 
trate  :  On  the  22d  of  March,  1864,  a  short  time  after 
the  death  of  his  brother,  Colonel  Jeffrey  Forrest,  in 
the  battle  near  Okolona,  and  after  carrying  the  posi 
tion  in  front,  the  general,  in  passing  a  hut  over  which 
a  hospital  flag  was  flying,  was  attracted  by  a  cry  of 
agony.  Dismounting  and  entering  he  found  a  Fed 
eral  soldier  abandoned  by  his  surgeon,  who  had  left 
the  amputating  saw  fast  in  the  bone  of  his  leg.  The 
general  quickly  saturated  a  cloth  with  chloroform  and 
applied  it  to  the  nostrils  of  the  sufferer,  and  leaving, 
sent  his  surgeon,  Dr.  Cowan,  to  complete  the  amputa 
tion,  and  the  man  got  well.* 

The  writer  remembers  to  have  once  seen  General 
Forrest's  natural  diffidence  and  tact  put  to  a  severe 
test.  It  was  in  1868  when  the  colored  people  gave  a 
grand  barbecue  at  the  fair-grounds,  five  miles  east  of 
Memphis.  Many  overtures  of  peace  and  good-will  be 
tween  the  races  had  been  made  from  both  sides,  and 
accepted  with  some  mental  reservations.  On  this  occa 
sion  a  number  of  leading  ex-Confederates  were  invited 
to  attend.  General  Forrest  and  Colonel  M.  C.  Galla- 
way,  the  fiery  editor  of  the  unreconstructed  Avalanche 
and  a  few  others  of  lesser  note,  accepted.  It  was 
thought  to  be  a  good  time  to  put  another  plank  in  the 
bridge  across  the  bloody  chasm,  if  not  incidentally  to 
win  the  late  serf  and  present  colored  brother  over  to 
the  Democratic  party.  The  reception  of  these  guests 

*  Campaigns  of  General  Forrest,  by  General  Thomas  Jordan 
and  J.  P.  Pryor,  p.  398. 


GENERAL  FORREST  AFTER  THE  WAR.   367 

was  something  overwhelming.  They  were  given  seats 
of  honor  on  the  platform  to  the  right  and  left  of  the 
presiding  dignitaries.  Some  stirring  speeches  followed 
prayer,  and  the  rafters  quivered  back  echoes  as  from  an 
organ  loft,  while  the  perfume  of  fresh  cantaloups  and 
well-baked  kids  and  shoats,  lambs,  and  opossums  float 
ed  up  with  the  voices  of  hucksters  from  below.  It  was 
an  ideal  barbecue  day,  but  the  distinguished  Caucasian 
visitors  were  ill  at  ease,  for  they  were  aware  that 
their  roasting  was  near  at  hand.  Presently  the  master 
of  ceremonies,  with  an  immaculate  white  shirt-front 
and  a  face  as  black  as  the  dark  of  the  moon,  sprang 
up  and  introduced  Colonel  Gallaway  as  the  orator  of 
the  day,  which  was  not  the  fact.  Gallaway,  a  tall, 
gaunt  Catiline  of  a  man,  arose,  white  as  a  sycamore- 
tree,  and  after  blundering  along  in  a  few  remarks 
which  meant  nothing  in  particular,  sat  down  with  a 
perceptible  bead  on  his  brow.  He  was  a  powerful 
writer  but  not  much  of  a  talker.  Then  Forrest  was 
introduced.  He  squared  himself  for  his  work  and 
made  a  strong  common-sense  talk,  warming  up  as  he 
proceeded,  and  evoked  some  applause  from  the  black 
sea  of  upturned  faces.  Just  as  he  sat  down  and  began 
wiping  his  face  with  a  big  handkerchief,  a  beaming 
colored  damsel  stepped  forward  to  present  him  with  a 
magnificent  bouquet.  She  was  robust,  well-dressed, 
a  picture  of  smiling  health  and  self-confidence,  and 
made  a  talk  peculiar  to  the  Southern  negro  dialect 
not  to  be  imitated.  General  Forrest  arose,  remained 
standing  until  the  bouquet  was  passed  over  to  him, 
then,  bowing  very  low,  said  that  this  unexpected 
honor  gave  him  great  pleasure ;  that  he  had  always 
admired  the  ladies,  was  fond  of  flowers,  and  would 
accept  these  with  many  thanks.  Yet  he  was  mani 
festly  at  a  great  disadvantage,  and  struggled  through 
the  ordeal  with  painful  difficulty.  After  that  the 


368  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

white  visitors  were  invited  down  to  the  barbecue, 
given  a  separate  table  and  a  great  feast,  which  they 
enjoyed  more  than  all  the  oratory  of  the  day. 

Early  in  the  seventies,  in  the  days  of  reconstruc 
tion,  a  serious  disturbance  occurred  in  Chicot  County, 
Arkansas,  below  Memphis,  where  the  blacks  largely 
outnumbered  the  whites.  A  colored  leader  was  a  for 
mer  bootblack  and  steamboat  porter  of  great  influence 
among  his  people.  There  had  been  bloodshed,  and  a 
general  uprising  was  threatened.  Many  families  of 
white  people  fled  to  Memphis.  The  hotels  were  filled 
with  refugees,  and  public  feeling  was  inflamed  to  a 
high  degree.  A  large  meeting  was  held  at  the  Cham 
ber  of  Commerce.  Men  of  prominence  attended,  and 
were  emphatic  in  expressing  their  views  as  to  the  ac 
tion  that  should  be  taken  for  the  relief  of  neighbors 
and  friends. 

Among  others  in  attendance  was  the  Hon.  Jefferson 
Davis,  then  a  resident  of  the  city.  He  spoke  to  the 
throng  in  conservative  temper  and  counseled  modera 
tion  as  well  as  caution.  After  an  hour  or  more  of 
deliberation,  General  Forrest  came  into  the  hall  and 
listened  perhaps  ten  minutes.  The  drift  of  the  senti 
ments  expressed  was  in  favor  of  sending  an  armed 
force  at  once  to  the  relief  or  succor  of  the  Chicot  peo 
ple.  There  were  many  volunteers  and  numerous  lead 
ers  as  well,  all  offering  to  get  ready  and  go  at  once. 
When  volunteers  began  to  offer  their  names  for  rec 
ord,  General  Forrest  arose  and  waved  his  hand,  and 
silence  followed.  In  well-chosen  words  and  terse  sen 
tences  he  said  :  "  Fellow-citizens,  I  am  as  ready  as  the 
foremost  of  you  to  go  to  the  aid  of  our  neighbors  in 
distress.  I  will  go  in  any  capacity  and  will  do  my 
utmost  to  help  the  threatened  inhabitants  against  the 
bloodthirsty  and  riotous  blacks  now  driving  women 
and  children  from  their  homes  and  destroying  prop- 


GENERAL  FORREST  AFTER  THE  WAR.   369 

erty  by  fire,  and  committing  other  lawless  acts.  But 
let  me  advise  you  that  we  be  not  too  hasty.  We  had 
better  wait  to  see  whether  or  not  we  are  wanted.  Let 
us  ask  the  Governor  of  Arkansas  whether  he  needs  the 
help  we  have  to  offer  before  we  volunteer  to  invade  a 
neighboring  commonwealth.  It  may  be  that  the  Gov 
ernor  and  his  advisers  will  not  brook  our  proposed  in 
terference  with  the  internal  affairs  of  Arkansas.  It 
may  be  that  the  Governor  can  cope  with  the  difficulty 
with  his  own  people,  and  that  we  would  be  regarded  as 
unwarranted  meddlers.  Let  us  send  a  telegram  and  find 
out  the  attitude  we  would  occupy  by  going  with  an 
armed  force  unasked  into  the  Chicot  district.  I  am 
ready  to  go  to-day,  but  I  want  the  Governor  of  Arkan 
sas  to  invite  me  first.  It  might  be  a  serious  matter  to 
go  there,  and  we  might  meet  an  unwelcome  greeting." 

The  wisdom  of  this  forceful  speech  was  at  once  ap 
parent.  Every  man  in  the  hall  at  once  coincided  with 
General  Forrest's  views,  which  none  had  previously 
thought  of,  although  there  were  men  of  discretion  in 
the  crowd,  men  of  business  as  well  as  of  other  lines. 
The  meeting  adjourned  almost  immediately  to  await 
an  answer  from  the  Governor.  A  reply  came  in  due 
time,  and  was  to  the  effect  that  Tennesseeans  were 
not  needed  to  quell  riots  in  Arkansas ;  hence  no  fur 
ther  proceedings  were  required. 

This  is  given  on  the  authority  of  Captain  W. 
L.  Trask,  who  was  at  the  meeting  as  a  reporter  of  the 
Daily  Avalanche,  then  a  leading  Memphis  journal,  and 
it  is  cited  as  a  proof  of  General  Forrest's  celerity  of 
thought  in  emergencies  as  well  as  of  the  good  sense 
he  showed  in  giving  expression  to  his  views.  He  used 
good  language  at  the  time,  and  the  most  polished  ora 
tor  could  not  have  framed  more  appropriate  or  more 
effective  words.  As  Mr.  George  W.  Childs,  the  Phila 
delphia  editor,  said  of  General  Grant  while  dying  at 


37°  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

Mt.  McGregor,  when  he  wrote  a  paragraph  regarding 
the  condition  of  the  country  to  his  friend  and  visitor, 
General  Buckner :  "  No  editorial  writer  in  America, 
with  all  his  experience,  could  have  said  anything  better 
or  in  fewer  words  than  did  General  Grant,  and  he 
proved  himself  a  master  of  expression  in  this  one  com 
munication  far  superior  to  many  of  our  eminent 
writers."  And  so  with  General  Forrest,  although  un 
educated  in  the  schools,  he  was  possessed  of  a  master 
mind  and  could  always  grasp  an  idea  or  situation,  and 
when  necessary  express  himself  in  clear  and  forcible 
English.  His  associations  were  largely  with  people  of 
high  standing  in  business  and  professional  life,  who 
esteemed  his  acquaintance  as  well  as  his  friendship  and 
confidence  as  a  privilege  and  pleasure. 

Commenting  upon  the  Life  of  General  Forrest,  writ 
ten  by  General  Thomas  Jordan  and  J.  P.  Pryor,  which 
appeared  in  1868,  Colonel  M.  C.  Gallaway,  editor  of 
the  Memphis  Avalanche,  who  had  served  three  years 
on  the  general's  staff,  said:  "  The  subject  of  this  biog 
raphy  is  no  common  man,  but  one  of  those  whom 
nature  designed  for  command,  and  to  have  a  con 
spicuous  part  in  the  stirring  scenes  and  terrific  encoun 
ters  through  which  he  passed  comparatively  unscathed. 
We  have  him  with  us  in  a  respected  and  useful  citizen, 
unassuming  and  unpretending,  with  what  we  hope  will 
be  a  long  portion  of  his  life  yet  before  him.  Although 
fortune  has  not  waved  her  banner  over  him  and  caused 
him  to  represent  a  great  political  party  in  its  strife  for 
power  and  place,  it  finds  him  with  the  same  indomi 
table  energy,  the  same  honorable  purpose,  the  same 
large  and  capacious  heart  that  first  won  attention  to, 
and  respect  for,  the  gallant  young  hero  before  he  had 
ever  heard  the  shrill  bugle-call  or  the  tramp  of  the 
war-horse." 

It  was  charged  a  few  years  after  the  war  that  Gen- 


GENERAL  FORREST  AFTER  THE  WAR.   3/1 

eral  Forrest  was  connected  in  some  way  with  the 
original  Kuklux  Klan,  and  no  authorized  denial  was 
ever  made.  The  real  history  of  that  mysterious  and 
potent  organization  has  never  been  and  can  not  now 
be  written,  although  the  ritual  has  recently  been  filed 
with  the  Tennessee  Historical  Association  at  Nash 
ville.  The  order  may  not  have  originated  in  the  now 
healthful  and  prosperous  city  of  Memphis,  but  it  was 
at  least  welcomed  and  adopted  in  the  midst  of  a  most 
distressing  state  of  affairs,  which  prevailed  for  some 
years  after  the  close  of  the  war.  Murders  and  garrot- 
ings  were  of  nightly  occurrence  in  the  dimly  lighted 
streets  and  suburbs.  Many  atrocious  crimes  were  com 
mitted  which  will  remain  mysteries  until  the  last  Great 
Day.  There  was  a  floating  population  which  no  census 
enumerator  could  have  reached  or  policeman  control. 
Desperadoes,  white  and  black,  especially  the  latter, 
still  armed,  insolent,  and  recklessly  defiant,  paraded  the 
streets  in  squads  by  day  and  were  a  terror  to  all  helpless 
or  law-abiding  people  at  night.  Nearly  all  good  citi 
zens  went  armed,  especially  if  they  had  to  be  out  after 
dark.  Life  was  a  burden  to  all  who  had  any  interests 
at  stake,  or  hopes  of  a  better  state  of  society.  The 
metropolitan  police  force  was  composed  mostly  of  a 
rather  hard  class  of  rough  men,  many  of  them  being 
mere  adventurers  who  had  nothing  in  common  with  the 
community.  They  received  their  appointments  directly 
from  Governor  William  G.  Brownlow,  a  bitter  par- 
tizan,  who  lived  more  than  four  hundred  miles  away, 
and  hence  they  were  obnoxious  to  a  large  element  of 
taxpayers  and  returned  Confederates.  It  must  not  be 
inferred,  however,  that  there  were  not  excellent  men 
on  the  force,  some  of  whom  were  identified  with  Mem 
phis  and  are  yet  remembered  with  respect  and  kindly 
feeling.  Still  these  and  all  the  agencies  of  the  law 
were  powerless  to  control  the  turbulent  elements.  The 


3/2  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

courts  could  do  but  little  toward  bringing  the  city  back 
to  a  condition  of  peace  and  safety. 

Under  these  circumstances  the  raw  head  and 
bloody  bones  of  the  Kuklux  began  to  appear  on  doors 
and  walls ;  mysterious  lights  and  signals  flashed  out  in 
unexpected  places.  The  order  had  its  dens  for  gather 
ings  and  was  composed  of  a  resolute  set  of  men,  who 
proposed  to  do  something  in  their  own  way  toward 
restoring  law  and  order,  and  to  counteract  the  nightly 
drum-beat  of  negro  loyal  leagues,  which  could  be  heard 
in  a  circuit  all  around  the  city  and  the  county.  One 
night  a  grand  armed  demonstration  was  made.  Every 
man  was  veiled  as  though  a  Prophet  of  Khorassan. 
Superbly  mounted  and  presumably  armed,  they  came 
and  went  like  ghosts  as  noiselessly  as  a  caravan  on  the 
desert,  reaching  the  center  of  the  city  and  passing 
through  the  principal  streets.  All  was  in  perfect  order ; 
not  a  word  was  spoken ;  the  shrouded  riders  knew  their 
business,  and  even  the  horses,  draped  to  the  ground, 
seemed  to  walk  on  the  air  or  with  muffled  tread.  The 
police  were  on  the  alert,  and  one  man  had  the  temerity 
to  seize  a  bridle-rein,  but  a  few  six-shooters  in  his  face 
made  him  conclude  that  he  was  not  intended  for  a 
horse-holder,  so  he  stepped  back  and  stood  at  attention. 
It  was  a  weird-like  pantomime  procession,  the  like  of 
which  had  never  been  seen  since  the  days  of  the  fan 
tastic  Sons  of  Malta.  In  less  than  an  hour  it  was  over, 
and  all  had  vanished  in  the  direction  of  the  neighbor 
ing  forests. 

The  chief  of  police,  a  daring  man  named  Simon 
Bolivar  Beaumont,  started  to  follow  in  an  open  car 
riage,  but  was  politely  informed  by  a  ghostly  trooper 
when  out  in  the  suburbs  that  it  would  not  be  healthy 
for  him  in  the  regions  down  below.  So  he  quietly 
turned  around  and  drove  to  the  station-house.  This 
show  of  force  produced  a  salutary  effect,  especially 


Nathan  B.  Forrest. 
From  a  picture  taken  in  18 


GENERAL  FORREST  AFTER  THE  WAR.   373 

upon  the  colored  population,  so  given  at  that  time  to 
blaring  music,  street  parades,  and  secret  meetings.  No 
violence  or  disturbance  followed  this  event.  The  pas 
sions  and  prejudices  of  the  war  began  to  die  out,  and 
no  one  hailed  the  end  with  more  pleasure  than  Gen 
eral  Forrest.  The  real  Kuklux  existed  only  a  year  or 
two,  and  having  accomplished  its  purpose  as  far  as 
possible  by  such  means,  was  disbanded  as  secretly  as  it 
was  formed  and  was  heard  of  no  more.  That  General 
Forrest  was  at  least  an  adviser  in  this  movement  there 
is  very  little  doubt,  but  he  and  other  good  Confederates 
had  nothing  to  do  with  the  so-called  or  bogus  Kuklux 
Klans  which  cropped  up  from  time  to  time  afterward, 
and  are  even  yet  counterfeited  under  different  names. 
It  is  due  to  General  Forrest  to  say,  and  it  will  not 
be  questioned  by  any  fair  or  intelligent  critic  of  his 
character,  that  he  was  ever  true  to  his  parole  after  he 
returned  home,  as  well  as  to  the  laws  of  the  State  and 
General  Government,  and  to  the  old  flag.  His  courage 
in  battle  was  fully  matched  by  his  intrepidity  and  sense 
of  honor  in  all  the  affairs  of  life.  From  his  youth  up 
Forrest  seems  to  have  had  a  respect  for  religious  mat 
ters,  no  doubt  owing  to  the  teachings  of  a  pious  mother. 
His  wife,  whom  he  fairly  adored,  was  a  devout  member 
of  the  church,  and  had  much  influence  over  him.  He 
often  said  that  he  attributed  his  many  marvelous  es 
capes  in  the  war  to  the  prayers  of  his  wife  and  mother. 
When  in  camp  he  always  had  the  chaplain  or  other 
suitable  person  to  say  grace  at  meals,  and  have  prayers 
at  night  when  practicable.  And  while  he  would  swear 
sometimes  when  under  excitement,  particularly  in  a 
fight,  when  men  were  not  acting  to  suit  him,  he  was 
greatly  restrained  in  the  presence  of  ministers  and  other 
religious  people.  Lieutenant-Colonel  D.  C.  Kelley,  the 
famous  fighting  parson  of  his  old  regiment,  now  of 
Nashville  (1902),  gives  abundant  testimony  upon  these 


374  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

points.  While  living  a  strictly  temperate,  moral,  and  ex 
emplary  life  he  did  not  become  a  churchgoer  or  member 
until  his  end  was  near.  A  year  or  two  before  he  died, 
he  met  on  the  streets  of  Memphis  the  Rev.  Raleigh 
R.  White,  of  Texas,  who  had  been  lieutenant-colonel 
of  the  Fourteenth  Tennessee  Cavalry  regiment  under 
him,  and  not  a  minister  at  that  time.  After  greetings, 
he  inquired:  ''Colonel,  what  are  you  doing?" 
"  Preaching  the  Gospel  of  the  Son  of  God,"  the  soldier 
replied.  "  What !  I  thought  you  were  in  South  America 
or  Europe.  Tell  me  about  yourself  and  your  work." 
"  Well,  I  returned  some  years  since,"  answered  White, 
and  proceeded  to  tell  of  his  conversion  and  work.  As 
a  result  of  this  talk  they  went  into  the  parlor  of  a  bank 
near  by,  where  Forrest  asked  the  minister  to  pray  for 
him.  Both  knelt,  and  a  fervent  supplication  was 
sent  up  to  the  throne  of  grace.  They  parted,  never  to 
meet  again.  Not  long  after  that  General  Forrest  was 
accepted  as  a  member  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian 
Church,  of  Memphis,  to  which  his  wife  had  belonged 
for  many  years.  She  was  happy  in  the  thought  that 
her  prayers  had  been  answered. 

For  the  last  year  of  General  Forrest's  life  his  health 
failed  rapidly,  and  he  visited  some  watering-places 
without  benefit.  He  could  not  take  an  active  part  in 
business  or  social  affairs.  His  last  appearance  in  pub 
lic  was  at  a  reunion  of  the  Seventh  Tennessee  Cavalry, 
in  which  he  had  enlisted  as  a  private  in  June,  1861. 
This  was  held  on  the  21  st  of  September,  1877.  When 
called  upon  for  a  talk  he  was  sitting  on  his  horse  ready 
to  return  to  the  town  from  the  cemetery,  and  without 
dismounting,  made  the  following  address,  which  was 
taken  down  by  a  reporter  of  the  Memphis  Evening 
Ledger  and  appeared  in  that  paper  the  following  day : 

"  Soldiers  of  the  Seventh  Tennessee  Cavalry,  La 
dies,  and  Gentlemen :  I  name  the  soldiers  first  be- 


GENERAL  FORREST  AFTER  THE  WAR.   375 

cause  I  love  them  best.  I  am  extremely  pleased  to 
meet  you  here  to-day.  I  love  the  gallant  men  with 
whom  I  was  so  intimately  connected  during  the  war. 
You  can  hardly  realize  what  must  pass  through  a 
commander's  mind  when  called  upon  to  meet  in  re 
union  the  brave  spirits  who,  through  four  years  of 
war  and  bloodshed,  fought  fearlessly  for  a  cause  that 
they  thought  right,  and  who,  even  when  they  fore 
saw  as  we  did,  that  the  war  must  soon  close  in  dis 
aster,  and  that  we  must  all  surrender,  yet  did  not 
quail,  but  marched  to  victory  in  many  battles,  and 
fought  as  boldly  and  persistently  in  their  last  battles 
as  they  did  in  their  first.  Nor  do  I  forget  those  many 
gallant  spirits  who  sleep  coldly  in  death  upon  the 
many  bloody  battle-fields  of  the  late  war.  I  love 
them  too,  and  ho'nor  their  memory.  I  have  often 
been  called  to  the  side,  on  the  battle-field,  of  those 
who  have  been  struck  down,  and  they  would  put 
their  arms  around  my  neck,  draw  me  down  to  them, 
and  kiss  me,  and  say :  '  General,  I  have  fought  my 
last  battle  and  will  soon  be  gone.  I  want  you  to  re 
member  my  wife  and  children  and  take  care  of 
them.'  Comrades,  I  have  remembered  their  wives 
and  little  ones,  and  have  taken  care  of  them,  and  I 
want  every  one  of  you  to  remember  them  too,  and 
join  with  me  in  the  labor  of  love. 

"  Comrades,  through  the  years  of  bloodshed  and 
weary  marches  you  were  tried  and  true  soldiers.  So 
through  the  years  of  peace  you  have  been  good  citi 
zens,  and  now  that  we  are  again  united  under  the 
old  flag,  I  love  it  as  I  did  in  the  days  of  my  youth, 
and  I  feel  sure  that  you  love  it  also.  Yes,  I  love  and 
honor  that  old  flag  as  much  as  those  who  followed 
it  on  the  other  side ;  and  I  am  sure  that  I  but  express 
your  feelings  when  I  say  that  should  occasion  offer 
and  our  country  demand  our  services,  you  would  as 
25 


37$  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

eagerly  follow  my  lead  to  battle  under  that  proud 
banner  as  ever  you  followed  me  in  our  late  great 
war.  It  has  been  thought  by  some  that  our  social 
reunions  were  wrong,  and  that  they  would  be  heralded 
to  the  North  as  an  evidence  that  we  were  again  ready 
to  break  out  into  civil  war.  But  I  think  that  they 
are  right  and  proper,  and  we  will  show  our  country 
men  by  our  conduct  and  dignity  that  brave  soldiers 
are  always  good  citizens  and  law-abiding  and  loyal 
people. 

"  Soldiers,  I  was  afraid  that  I  could  not  be  with 
you  to-day,  but  I  could  not  bear  the  thought  of  not 
meeting  with  you,  and  I  will  always  try  to  meet  with 
you  in  the  future.  And  I  hope  that  you  will  con 
tinue  to  meet  from  year  to  year,  and  bring  your  wives 
and  children  with  you,  and  let  them,  and  the  children 
who  may  come  after  them,  enjoy  with  you  the  pleasure 
of  your  reunions." 

Even  then  he  was  weak  and  emaciated  from  a 
chronic  disease,  and  from  that  time  forward  he  failed 
slowly  but  surely.  On  the  2Qth  day  of  October,  1877, 
he  peacefully  and  painlessly  passed  away  at  his  resi 
dence  on  Union  Street,  in  Memphis,  and  on  the' fol 
lowing  day  his  remains  were  followed  to  the  beautiful 
cemetery  of  Elmwood  by  thousands  of  people,  in 
cluding  the  leading  citizens  of  the  city  and  surrounding 
country,  Hon.  Jefferson  Davis,  ex-President  of  the 
Confederacy,  and  members  of  his  cabinet,  and.  many 
distinguished  Confederates  from  a  distance.  The 
pall-bearers  were  members  of  his  old  staff  and  other 
prominent  Confederates,  and  the  obsequies  were  con 
ducted  under  the  auspices  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of 
which  General  Forrest  had  long  been  a  member.  At 
the  close  of  most  impressive  ceremonies,  a  volley  was 
fired  over  the  grave  of  the  great  leader  by  the  Chick- 
asaw  Guards,  afterward  a  lamous  local  military  com- 


GENERAL  FORREST  AFTER  THE  WAR.    377 

pany.  The  casket  was  lowered  to  its  final  resting- 
place  in  the  family  lot  shaded  by  fragrant  magnolias, 
and  a  few  years  later  his  wife  died  and  was  laid  to 
rest  by  the  side  of  her  hero-husband.  United  so  long 
and  faithfully  and  lovingly  in  life  they  were  not  long 
separated  by  death. 

A  movement  was  set  on  foot  several  years  ago 
to  erect  a  monument  in  Memphis  in  honor  of  Gen 
eral  Forrest,  and  in  the  opening  of  new  parks 
last  year,  one  of  these  was  named  for  him.  In  the 
center  of  this,  a  beautiful  ten-acre  plat  near  the  hum 
of  the  city,  the  corner-stone  for  a  monument — a 
bronze  equestrian  statue  of  heroic  size — to  perpetu 
ate  his  memory  was  laid  with  imposing  ceremonies 
during  the  eleventh  annual  meeting  of  the  United 
Confederate  Veterans'  Association,  held  in  May,  1901. 
This  will  be  worthy  of  his  name  and  of  the  city  which 
was  his  home  in  early  and  mature  manhood. 


APPENDIX. 


GENERAL   STEPHEN   D.    LEE'S   ACCOUNT   OF    THE 
BATTLE    OF   HARRISBURG. 

Read  before  the  Mississippi  Historical  Society,  January  10,  igo2, 

COLUMBUS,  Miss.,  January  21,  1902. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL  WILSON  :  I  thank  you  for  your  let 
ter  of  January  i6th  asking  me  for  a  copy  of  my  paper 
read  before  the  Mississippi  Historical  Society  in  Jack 
son,  Miss.,  on  the  Qth  inst.  You  state  that  the  Life  of 
General  Forrest  is  now  passing  through  the  press  as  one 
of  the  Great  Commanders  Series,  and  you  wish  my  version 
of  the  engagement  and  will  attach  it  in  the  Appendix  if  I 
will  limit  my  account  to  one  thousand  words.  I  would 
like  to  have  my  entire  paper  put  in  if  possible,  as  it  is 
now  in  condensed  form.  It  will  be  impossible  for  me  to 
do  otherwise  than  to  bring  out  clearly  my  version  as  in 
contrast  with  the  other  versions,  referring  to  my  paper 
for  details  and  proof. 

In  the  battle  of  July  14,  1864,  General  Andrew  J. 
Smith  commanded  the  Union  army  of  fifteen  thousand 
men,  including  two  divisions  of  the  Sixteenth  Army- 
corps,  a  negro  brigade  of  infantry,  eight  batteries  of  artil 
lery,  and  thirty-two  hundred  cavalry  under  General 
Grierson.  He  formed  his  line  of  battle  facing  west, 
Mower's  division  being  on  the  right  of  the  Pontotoc  and 
Tupelo  road,  Moore's  division  on  the  left  of  the  road,  the 
negro  brigade  on  the  extreme  left,  facing  south;  the  cav 
alry  in  the  rear  and  on  the  right  flank,  all  in  double  line  of 
battle. 

379 


380  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

The  Confederate  troops  under  General  Forrest  were 
dismounted  and  formed  by  him  as  follows :  Buford's  divi 
sion  of  three  brigades  faced  the  right  and  center  of  the 
enemy,  and  Roddey's  division  the  extreme  left;  while  Chal 
mers's  division,  with  dismounted  men,  as  they  arrived,  were 
to  form  a  second  line  or  reserve  force,  the  total  effect 
ive  number  being  six  thousand  to  six  thousand  six  hun 
dred  men  with  five  batteries  of  artillery.  General  For 
rest  dismounted  his  men  and  reported  ready  for  battle,  and 
urged  immediate  attack,  as  he  reported  the  enemy  pre 
paring  to  retreat  on  Ellistown  road.  The  extracts  in  the 
paper  of  reports  of  Forrest  and  Chalmers,  and  Roddey's 
letter,  with  attached  letters,  bring  out  the  facts  fully — 

(1)  That  General  Lee,  against  his  wishes,  was  on  the 
field  in  command.     Lee   urged   Forrest   to  command  his 
troops  and  exercise  command  on  the  field.     He  positively 
declined  on  account  of  ill-health,  and  not  feeling  able  to 
assume   the   responsibility,   saying   it  was   General   Lee's 
duty  as  his  superior  officer  to  come  and  take  command. 

(2)  The  plan  of  battle  was  arranged  with  perfect  ac 
cord  between  Generals  Lee  and  Forrest,  General  Forrest 
personally  selecting  the  right  wing  (Roddey),  which  was 
to  swing  around  on  the  enemy's  left  and  drive  it  in,  while 
General  Lee  personally  would  make  front  attack  on  cen 
ter,  each  to  personally  supervise  their  respective  wings, 
and  the  attack  to  be  made  simultaneously. 

(3)  When  the  signal-gun  was  fired  to  start  the  move 
ment  all   the   troops   moved   to  the   attack,    Buford   with 
Crossland's,    Bell's,    and    Mabry's   brigades,    and    Forrest 
with  Roddey's  division.     Forrest  had  so  far  completed  his 
movement  that  the  skirmishers  of  tin.   enemy  on  the  ex 
treme  left  were  driven  in,  and  before  Crossland  was  re 
pulsed  Mabry  and  Bell  pushed  up  to  the  enemy,  fighting 
desperately,  and  to  within  fifty  yards  of  their  line,  holding 
their  position  two  and  a  half  hours. 

(4)  Forrest,  although  he  was  not  directly  in  charge 
of   Crossland's   brigade,   as   soon   as   he   saw   it   repulsed 
changed  the  entire  plan  of  battle  perfected  by  General  Lee 
and  himself,  withdrew  Roddey,  and  with  Crossland  formed 


APPENDIX.  3l 

a  new  line  of  battle,  leaving  the  left  wing  of  the  enemy 
unengaged,  and  allowing  them  to  concentrate  their  fire  on 
the  troops  immediately  under  Lee. 

(5)  Lee,  when  he  saw  he  could  not  drive  in  the  center 
of  the  enemy's  line,  ordered  up  Chalmers  to  put  him  in  on 
the  extreme  right  of  the  enemy.    Chalmers  did  not  come,  so 
he    (Lee)    went  in   person   for  him;  found  he  had  been 
moved  to  extreme  right  by  order  of  Forrest,  who  did  not 
report  to  'Lee  his  change  in  agreement,  nor  his  order  to 
Chalmers  to  reenforce  Roddey,  who  was  doing  no  fighting. 

(6)  Lee  found  Chalmers,  and  upon  his  showing  For 
rest's  order,  and  still  supposing  Forrest  would  carry  out 
plan    of    battle,    divided    Chalmers's    command,    sending 
Rucker's  brigade  to  extreme  left  to  attack  enemy,  sending 
Neely  to  Forrest,  as  he  wanted  reenforcements,  and  hold 
ing  McCulloch  in  reserve. 

(7)  Lee,  then  seeing  the  left  wing  of  the  enemy  unen 
gaged  and  concentrating  their  fire  on  his  troops,  moved  to 
his  right  and  found  Forrest,  who  then  told  him  what  he 
had  done.     It  was  then  too  late  to  remedy  matters,  and 
under  cover  of  McCulloch's  brigade,  he   (Lee)   withdrew 
Bell,  Mabry,  and  Rucker,  and  formed  a  new  line  of  battle 
and  invited  attack  of  the  enemy.    The  enemy  did  not  move 
out  of  his  chosen  position.     On  the  night  of  the  I4th  Lee 
ordered  up  all  troops  close  to  the  enemy.    On  the  morning 
of  July  1 5th  he  found  the  enemy  retreating,  and  pursued, 
attacking  rear-guard  at  Town  Creek. 

(8)  Forrest  was  evidently  disconcerted  at  the  repulse 
of  Crossland,  and  assumed  prerogatives  of  commander-in- 
chief,   when   he   only  had   personally   the    supervision    of 
right  wing.    He  changed  the  order  of  battle  and  moved  re 
serves  without  informing  the  commanding  general.     The 
facts  are  stated  as  pleasantly  and  as  complimentarily  to 
Forrest  as  circumstances  will  permit. 

(9)  The  staff  and  followers  of  Forrest  were  devoted 
ly  attached  and  loyal  to  him.    They  almost  worshiped  him 
while  living,  and  have  continued  in  the  same  spirit  since 
his  death.    They  criticized  General  Lee  the  night  after  the 
retreat  of  the  enemy  was  reported  to  him.    He  (Lee)  saw 


382  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 

Forrest,  who  disavowed  the  criticism,  and  said  it  was 
his  fight,  and  he  would  make  an  example  of  those  who 
had  done  the  talking.  Again  at  Okolona  General  Lee 
called  his  attention  to  the  conduct  of  his  staff;  he  became 
angry  and  said  he  would  hold  them  responsible  for  their 
words,  as  they  certainly  misrepresented  him  and  his  ac 
tions  during  the  battle.  Lee  was  ordered  to  another  field 
immediately  after  battle.  Forrest  never  sent  his  reports 
through  Lee,  although  he  commanded  on  the  fi<!ld. 

Yours  truly, 

STEPHEN  D.  LEE. 


GENERAL   FORREST'S  ORTHOGRAPHY. 

IF  the  despatch  sent  by  General  Forrest  to  announce 
the  capture  of  Fort  Pillow  is  genuine,  it  should  be  em 
balmed  in  history  along  with  Caesar's  "  Veni,  vidi,  vici," 
and  the  hardly  less  famous  apocryphal  message  of  the 
British  general :  "  Peccavi — I  have  Scinde."  General 
Forrest  is  alleged  to  have  written  after  the  fort  was  taken : 
"  We  busted  the  fort  at  ninerclock  and  scatered  the  nig 
gers.  The  men  is  still  a  cillanem  in  the  woods."  "  Niner 
clock  "  explains  itself,  and  "  cillanem "  is  interpreted  to 
read  "  killing  them." 

The  original  of  the  above  despatch,  and  also  another, 
in  which,  accounting  for  prisoners,  the  general  wrote: 
"  Them  as  was  cotch  with  spoons  and  brestpins  and  sich, 
was  cilld,  and  the  rest  of  the  lot  was  pay  rold  and  told  to 
git,"  were  submitted  to  the  editor  of  this  series  in  1887, 
and  by  him  included  in  the  article  on  Forrest  contained  in 
Appletons'  Cyclopaedia  of  American  Biography,  vol.  ii,  p. 
506.  Doubts  being  expressed  by  Forrest's  friends  of  their 
genuineness,  General  James  R.  Chalmers  was  written  to 
on  the 'subject,  and  he  replied  as  follows:  "I  do  not  be 
lieve  that  he  wrote  the  Fort  Pillow  telegraphic  despatch, 
because  the  statements  are  not  altogether  in  accordance 
with  the  facts.  As  to  the  second,  I  have  no  knowledge. 
In  writing,  as  in  fighting,  General  Forrest  was  a  law  unto 


APPENDIX.  383 

himself.  His  fighting  was  upon  Napoleonic  lines,  although 
prompted  purely  by  the  genius  in  him,  and  his  word  paint 
ings  were  equally  expressive  and  vivid.  Having  had  no 
opportunities  for  study  in  early  life,  he  did  virtually 
all  his  correspondence  during  the  war  through  Major 
Strange,  his  adjutant-general,  and  the  major  was  a  very 
accomplished  man.  But  I  once  saw  an  indorsement  from 
the  general  that  was  as  unique  as  those  given  above.  A 
soldier  came  to  him  a  third  time  asking  for  a  furlough. 
Twice  it  had  been  refused,  for  we  needed  all  the  men  that 
we  could  get  at  that  time,  and  when  the  application  ap 
peared  the  third  time,  General  Forrest  in  his  own  hand 
writing  indorsed  upon  the  back  of  it,  '  I  told  you  twist 
(twice)  Goddammit  know/  and  the  man  knew  that  he 
meant  no." 

The  two  letters  appearing  in  facsimile  in  this  volume 
are  absolutely  and  unquestionably  genuine.  One  was  writ 
ten  in  the  first  year  of  the  civil  war,  the  other,  for  which 
the  editor  is  indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  General  Stephen 
D.  Lee,  to  whom  it  is  addressed,  was  written  after  the 
close  of  the  war.  The  two  doubtful  despatches  were 
omitted  from  the  second,  and  all  succeeding  editions,  of 
the  Cyclopaedia  of  American  Biography. 

Writing  to  a  friend  from  Memphis,  September  13, 
1866,  General  Forrest  says,  in  reference  to  the  Fort  Pil 
low  affair  (some  slips  in  spelling  are  corrected)  :  "  I  am 
making  out  a  full  statement  of  the  so-called  Fort  Pillow 
massacre,  and  as  soon  as  completed  I  will  send  it  forward 
to  the  President  as  Commander-in-chief  of  the  Army  and 
Navy  of  the  United  States,  in  which  I  mention  that  if  my 
explanation  is  not  satisfactory,  I  demand  an  investigation 
by  a  board  of  officers.  I  am,  as  well  as  yourself,  ruined 
by  the  war,  and  am  opening  a  commission  business  in  this 
city." 

J.  G.  W. 


INDEX. 


Able,  John,  life  saved  by  Forrest, 

17,  18. 
Adams,   General  John,  killed  at 

Franklin,  313. 

Adams,  General  Daniel,  339. 
Adams,  Wirt,  59,  335,  338. 
Agnew,  Dr.  Samuel  E.,  245. 
Alban,  Dr.  J.  P.,  288. 
Alexander,  Andrew  J.,  347. 
Allen,  W.  W  ,  77. 
Allin,  Philip  T.,  164. 
Anderson,        Brigadier  -  General 

Samuel  R.,  79. 
Anderson,  Charles  W.,  140,  150, 

170,  217,  221,  226,  273,  341,  355. 
Armstrong,  Frank  C.,   100,   107, 

108,    117,   147,   149,   307,    318, 

333,  335,  347- 

Bacon,  Captain  Albert  G.,  mor 
tally  wounded,  28. 

Bainbridge,  Ala.,  327. 

Balch,  Robert  L.,  16,  54. 

Baldwin,  Miss.,  near  battle 
ground,  240. 

Banks,  General  Nathaniel  P., 
mentioned,  173. 

Barksdale,  Lieutenant-Colonel 
James  A.,  mortally  wounded, 
326,  327. 

Barteau,  Colonel  Clark  Russell, 
161,  180,  227,  244,  245,  259. 

Bate,  Major-General  William  B., 
3I5-3I8. 

Bates's  brigade,  144. 

Beaumont,  Simon  Bolivar,  men 
tioned,  372. 

Beauregard,  General  P.  G.  T.,  57, 
53,  63. 


Beck,  Orrin  M.,  247. 
Bedford,  Lieutenant  Hugh  L.,  37. 
Bell.Colonel  William  P.,  275-277. 
Bell,  Colonel  Tyree  H.,  161,  164, 

165,  171,  I97,  222,  270,333,  336. 

Biffle,  Colonel  Jacob  B.,  79,  90, 

114,  123,  312,  314,  319. 
Bills,  Jonathan,  Unionist,  26. 
Birge's  sharpshooters,  37. 
Black  Warrior  River,  119,  123. 
Bloodgood,  Colonel  Edward,  105. 
Boglers  Creek,  342. 
Boone,    Sergeant   A.  H.,  killed, 

1 66. 

Boone,  Lieutenant  Nathan,  165. 
Booth,    Major    Lionel    F.,    com 
manding  Fort  Pillow,  215,  217, 

218  ;  killed,  219. 
Bouton,  Colonel  Edward,  258. 
Bradford,   Major  William  F.,  at 

Fort  Pillow, 215,  216,  218,  221  ; 

his  death,  228. 
Bradford,  Theodore  F.,  killed  at 

Fort  Pillow,  225. 
Bragg,  General  Braxton,  73,  106, 

109,   112,    126,    136,   138,   145, 

146,  151,  154. 
Brayman,    Colonel    Mason,    199, 

228. 
Breckenridge,  General   John  C., 

62-80,  145,  146. 

Breckenridge,     Lieutenant-Colo 
nel  W.  K.  M.,  93. 
Brice's  crossroads  (battle  of),  238- 

246. 
Brown,   Lieutenant    Tully,   256, 

260. 
Brown,   Major-General  John  C., 

at  Chickamauga,  144,  313. 

3S5 


386 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 


Brownlow,  Governor  William  G., 

mentioned,  371. 
Bruce,  Colonel  S.  D.,  69-70. 
Buckland,  Brigadier-General 

Ralph  P.,  272-275. 
Buckner,  Simon  B.,  35,  38,  39,144. 
Buell,  General    Don   Carlos,  55, 

56,  71,  77- 
Buford,   General  Abraham,   200, 

209,     210,    212,    213,    233,    235, 

236,    289  ;  wounded    at    Rich- 
land   Creek,    326 ;   ordered    to 
Montevallo,  336,  338. 
Buttnck,  Colonel  Edwin  L.,  277. 

Cage,  Lieutenant-Colonel  John 
B.,  259- 

Calfkiller  Creek  fight,  134. 

Calhoun,  Ky.,  reconnaissance,  33. 

Callender,  Byron  M.,  286. 

Campbell,  Brigadier-General  Al 
exander  W.,  336. 

Canby,   General   Edward    R.  S., 

337,  351- 

Carroll,  Colonel  Charles  M.,  TOO. 
Carter,    Brigadier-General    John 

C.,  3.13 

Caseyville,  Ky.,  26. 

Catoosa,  138. 

Cedar  Bluff,  122. 

Chalmers,  Alexander  H.,  243. 

Chalmers,  General  James  R.,  57, 
159,  168,  170,  177,  216,  226, 
235»  265,  266,  267,  284,  294, 
307,  319.  330,  381- 

Chamberlain,  F.  W.,  12. 

Chapel  Hill,  2. 

Chattooga  River,  122. 

Cheatham,  General  Benjamin 
Franklin,  Shiloh,  56,  142,  310, 
312,  322. 

Chickamauga — forces  on  both 
sides — battle  brought  on  by 
Forrest,  138,  139  ;  part  taken 
by  him  for  three  days,  140,  1 50. 

Childs,    George    W.,    mentioned, 

369- 

Claiborne,  General  Patrick  R., 
143,  145,  310  ;  killed  at  Frank 
lin,  313-  ' 


Clark,  Charles,  26. 

Clarksville,  40. 

Clay,  Major  W.  L.,  73. 

Clayton's  brigade  at  Georgia,  144. 

Coburn,  Colonel  John,  102,  103, 
104. 

Cockrell,  Brigadier-General,  313. 

Coleman,  Colonel  David,  321. 

Coleman,  James  M.,  10. 

Collierville,  175. 

Collins,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Na 
thaniel  D.,  86. 

Cooper,  General  Samuel,  156. 

Cosby,  Colonel  George  B.,  101. 

Cowan,  Dr.  James  B.,  63,  154, 
184,  250,  255,  356. 

Cowan,    Lieutenant   George    L., 

343- 

Cox,  Colonel  Nicholas  N.,  91. 
Crews,  Lieutenant-Colonel  James 

M.,  206,  234. 
Crittenden,  General  Thomas  L., 

26-29,  J36,  137,  149- 
Crook,  General  George,  163  ;  left 

in  command  at  Tupelo,  264. 
Crossland,  Colonel  Edward,  203, 

263,  296,  309,  340,  342. 
Crouch,  Rev.  Stephen  D.,  killed, 

105. 
Croxton,  Brigadier-General  John 

T.,  293,  321,  339. 
Crutcher,  Lieutenant,  29-30. 
Cunningham,  Lieutenant  E.  H., 

44,  74- 
Curtis,  Lieutenant  Isaac  W.,  181. 

Dana,  Charles  A.,  Assistant  Sec 
retary  of  War,  at  Chickamauga, 
149 

Dashiell,  Major  George,  355. 

Davidson's  brigade,  Pegram's 
division,  Chickamauga,  146 

Davis's  division,  145. 

Davis,  Captain  A.  N.,  28. 

Davis,  Captain  D.  C.,  26. 

Davis,  General  Jeff  C.,  100. 

Davis,  Jefferson,  368;  pall-bearer 
at  Forrest's  funeral,  375. 

Davis,  Lieutenant  J.  N.,  294. 

Davis  Mill,  247. 


INDEX. 


337 


Dawson,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Wil 
liam  A.,  300,  309. 
Dawson,  Major  John  W.,  142. 
Days  Gap,  battle  of,  114. 
Dennis,   Brigadier-General  Elias 

s.,  351- 

Dewey,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Joel 

A.,  at  Athens,  Ala.,  286. 
Dibbrell,  Colonel  George  G.,  79, 

85,  86,  113,  134,  135,  137,.  151- 
Dickey,  Colonel,  Fourth  Illinois, 

60,  61. 
Dodge,  Brigadier-General  Gren- 

ville  M.,  88,  in,  113. 
Donaldson,  Captain  John,  killed, 

143- 

Donaldson,   Lieutenant    Samuel, 

255,  356. 

Douglass,  General  Edwin  H.,  108. 
Duck  River  bridges   burned   by 

Forrest,  325. 
Duckworth,  Colonel  William  L., 

198,  200,  260,  283. 
Duff,    Colonel  William    L.,  183, 

243,  255. 
Duffield,  Colonel  W.  W.,  65,  66, 

68. 
Dunham,  Colonel  Cyrus  L.,  88, 

89,  90,  92. 
Dustan,  Brigadier  -  General 

Charles  W.,  275,  276,  278,  279. 
Dysart,  Captain  Alfred,  105. 
Dyson,  James,  13. 

Earle's  Third  Arkansas  regiment, 

103. 
Earle,  Colonel  Samuel  G.,  killed, 

105. 

Edmondson,  Colonel,  115. 
Ector,  General  Matthew  D.,  141, 

3i9- 

Ellett,  General  Alfred  W.,  no. 

Elliott,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Jonas 
B.,  mortally  wounded  at  Ath 
ens,  Ala.,  287. 

Faulkner,   Colonel  W.  W.,    167, 

168,  260. 
Featherstone,    Brigadier-General 

Winfield  S.,  324. 


Feild,  Colonel  Hume  R.,  323,  324. 
Ferguson,  General,  160,  167. 
Ferrel],   Captain,   113,   115,  116  ; 

Terrell's  battery,  240,  256. 
Finlay,  Colonel  Luke  W.,  325. 
Fisk,  General  Clinton  B.,  89. 
Floyd,  General  John  B.,  35,  39- 

4i,  5i- 

Foote's  flotilla  demolished  Fort 
Henry  and  assaulted  Fort 
Donelson,  34. 

Forrest,  Aaron,  9. 

Forrest,  Jeffrey  E.,  9,  38,  171, 
176-178,  180,  183,  189. 

Forrest,  Jesse  A.,  colonel  of  a 
regiment,  9,  54,  210,  270,  287. 

Forrest,  John,  a  veteran  of  the 
Mexican  War,  7. 

Forrest,  Jonathan,  killed  at  Her- 
nando,  12. 

Forrest,  Nathan  Bedford,  I,  2  ; 
ancestry,  2,  3  ;  removed  from 
Tennessee  to  Mississippi,  3  ; 
family  history,  5-10 ;  volun 
teered  in  the  cause  of  Texas, 
ii;  involved  in  a  tragedy  at 
Hernando,  Miss.,  u,  12;  ro 
mantic  courtship  and  marriage, 
13-15  ;  slave-dealer  and  plant 
er,  16 ;  defied  a  mob  and 
saved  a  man's  life,  16-18  ;  be 
came  an  alderman  of  Memphis  ; 
corrupt  proposition  denounced, 
19,  20  ;  prediction  of  Dr.  Fow 
ler,  the  phrenologist,  21  ;  loss 
of  family  records  by  fire,  22  ; 
enlisted  as  a  private  in  the 
Confederate  army  and  author 
ized  to  raise  a  regiment,  23  ; 
visit  to  Kentucky,  companies 
raised,  battalion  organized,  and 
elected  lieutenant-colonel,  24, 
25  ;  ordered  to  Fort  Donelson, 
25  ;  sharp  engagement  at  Sac 
ramento,  Ky.,  29-31  ;  ordered 
north  of  the  Cumberland  River, 
thence  to  Clarksville,  Tenn., 
32  ;  again  reached  Fort  Donel 
son,  gth  of  February,  1862,  34  ; 
part  taken  in  front  of  Dover 


388 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 


and  Donelson,  36-40  ;  official 
report,  41—53  ;  actively  engaged 
in  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  50-02  ; 
leave  of  absence,  62,  63  ;  opera 
tions  north  and  west  of  Chatta 
nooga,  64—72  ;  commissioned 
brigadier-general,  74  ;  reported 
to  General  Bragg,  76  ;  ordered 
back  from  Kentucky  to  Middle 
Tennessee,  80 ;  crossed  into 
West  Tennessee  under  protest, 
80-84  ;  the  battle  of  Parker's 
crossroads  and  escape  into 
Middle  Tennessee,  93  ;  vote  of 
thanks  by  the  Confederate  Con 
gress,  95;  ordered  to  report  to 
General  Wheeler  and  repulse 
at  Dover,  95-99  ;  victory  over 
Coburn  at  Thompsons  Sta 
tion,  105-107,  116-118,  120- 
126,  covering  a  period  of  Colo 
nel  Streight's  expedition  and 
capture  ;  reported  to  Bragg  at 
Shelbyville  and  succeeded  Gen 
eral  Van  Dorn  in  command  of 
cavalry,  127  ;  composition  of 
his  forces,  128 ;  advance  on 
Franklin,  sharp  engagement, 
129  ;  tragedy  at  Columbia,  130- 
132  ;  ordered  to  evacuate  East 
Tennessee,  135  ;  checked  im 
portant  movement  at  Alpine, 
Ga.,  136 ;  operations  around 
Ringgold  on  the  eve  of  battle 
of  Chickamauga,  which  he 
opened,  137  ;  events  up  to  final 
charge,  149,  150  ;  last  recon 
naissance  in  front  of  Chatta 
nooga,  151  ;  coolly  mentioned 
by  Bragg,  152  ;  ordered  to  meet 
Burnside,  153  ;  command  taken 
from  him,  154 ;  a  call  upon 
General  Bragg,  strong  language 
used,  154-156  ;  desired  a  new 
field,  156,  157  ;  interview  with 
President  Davis,  157 ;  per 
mitted  to  go  to  Mississippi  and 
reported  to  General  Joseph  E. 
Johnston,  158  ;  found  a  small 
command,  159 ;  reached  Boli 


var,  Tenn.,  160  ;  Jackson,  161 ; 
promoted  to  major-general, 
December,  1863,  and  success 
fully  returned  to  Mississippi, 
163-168  ;  fruits  on  the  expedi 
tion,  169 ;  organizing  raw 
troops,  171  ;  headquarters  at 
Oxford,  172,  178-180,  182, 
184,  187,  203  ;  report  tro  Gen 
eral  Polk,  206-208  ;  planned 
to  capture  Fort  Pillow,  208  ; 
demand  for  surrender  and  cap 
ture  of  place,  221-225  ;  vote  of 
thanks  from  Confederate  Con 
gress,  230  ;  charges  denied  by 
Forrest  and  his  men,  231  ;  en 
gagement  at  Bolivar,  'lenn., 
and  return  to  Mississippi,  234  ; 
council  of  war,  239  ;  battle  of 
Brice's  crossroads,  239-249 ; 
battle  of  Harrisburg,  Chap 
ter  XV;  losses  summed  up, 
263  ;  suffering  from  wounds  re 
ceived  at  Old  Town  Creek,  264  ; 
returned  to  Okolona,  265 ;  move 
on  Memphis,  267-274  ;  cavalry 
reorganized,  282 ;  advance 
on  Athens,  Ala.,  285  ;  place 
captured,  286-288 ;  Sulphur 
Springs  trestle  stormed,  289  ; 
advance  on  Pulaski,  290  ;  the 
return,  291  ;  back  at  Cherokee 
Station,  294;  move  into  West 
Tennessee,  296,  297  ;  capture 
of  gunboats,  298-300;  fleet 
and  stores  at  Johnsonville  de 
stroyed,  302-304  ;  joins  Gen 
eral  Hood  at  Florence,  Ala., 
305  ;  advance  on  Nashville, 
307  ;  placed  in  command  of  all 
his  cavalry,  305  ;  part  taken  in 
the  battle  of  Franklin,  311, 
312  ;  in  front  of  Nashville,  314, 
a  move  on  Murfreesboro,  315- 
317  ;  ordered  by  Hood  to  fall 
back,  318  ;  assigned  to  com 
mand  rear-guard  of  the  army, 
321  ;  movement  of  trains  in  re 
treat,  325  ;  Forrest's  offer  to 
exchange  prisoners  declined, 


INDEX. 


389 


326 ;  desperate  stand  at  An 
thonys  Hill,  327  ;  his  last  stand 
at  Sugar  Creek,  328,  329  ;  re 
lieved  and  crossed  the  Tennes 
see  River,  330  ;  summing  urjo 
of  results  and  stirring  address, 
33J>  332  !  aU  cavalry  of  depart 
ment  placed  under  his  com 
mand,  promoted  to  lieutenant- 
general,  reorganization,  334  ; 
absenteeism,  335  ;  an  appeal  to 
Hon.  John  C.  Breckenridge, 
335 ;  headquarters  at  West 
Point,  Miss.,  336  ;  blazing  away 
to  Selma,  Ala.,  336-340  ; 
wounded,  343  ;  desperate  strug 
gle  in  Selma  and  escape,  345- 
349 ;  retreat  to  Gainesville, 
350 ;  news  of  Lee's  surrender, 
Forrest's  men  paroled,  his  fare 
well  address,  351-353 ;  re 
turned  to  Memphis  and  his 
plantation,  354  ;  as  a  temperate 
man,  357  ;  amnesty  by  Pres 
ident  Andrew  Johnson,  358  ; 
conscious  of  educational  de 
fects,  358  ;  partnership  with  an 
ex-Federal  officer,  359  ;  Mem 
phis,  360,  361  ;  engaged  in 
railroad  building,  361,  362; 
then  in  planting  again,  363 ; 
incidents  of  military  and  civil 
life,  363-369  ;  a  profession  of 
religion  and  connection  with 
the  church,  373  ;  last  address 
at  a  Confederate  reunion,  374  ; 
his  death,  October  29,  1877 ; 
great  attendance  at  the  funeral, 
Jefferson  Davis  a  pall-bearer, 
376  ;  his  orthography,  381. 

Forrest,  Captain  William,  wound 
ed  at  Days  Gap,  9,  63,  114, 
US- 

Forrest,  William  M.,  8,  270,  356. 

Fowler,  Dr.  Orson  G.,  21. 

Freeman,  Captain  S.  L.,  So; 
killed,  107. 

Fry,  Colonel  Jacob  B.,  70,  72,  86. 

Fuller,  Colonel  John  W.,  88,  90. 

Fulton,  Ky.,  208. 


Gadsden,  Ala.,  122. 

Gallaway,  Matthew  C.,  162,  250, 
294,  356,  366,  367,  370. 

Gantt.Lieutenant-Colonel  George, 
at  Fort  Donelson,  55,  94. 

Garfield,  Brigadier-General  James 
A.,  136. 

Gholson,  Brigadier-General  Sam 
uel  J.,  185,  186,  235,  256. 

Gilbert,  Colonel  Henry  C.,  103. 

Gilmer,  Major  J.  F.,  32,  35. 

Gist,  Brigadier-General  States  R., 
killed  at  Franklin,  313. 

Goodman,  Captain  Walter  A.,  2 20. 

Gordon,  General  George  W., 
wounded  at  Franklin,  313. 

Gracey,  Captain  Frank  R.,  301. 

Granbury,  Brigadier-General  Hi- 
ram  B.,  killed  at  Franklin,  313. 

Granger,  General  Gordon,  107, 
146,  147,  293. 

Grant,  General  U.  S.,  36,  40,  55, 
94 ;  allusion  to  General  For 
rest's  fight  with  General  Wil 
liam  Sooy  Smith,  196 ;  com 
ment  on  affairs  in  West  Ten 
nessee  and  Kentucky,  213  ; 
also  Wilson's  expedition 
through  Alabama,  350. 

Greer,  Captain  Hugh  D.,  273. 

Grierson,  General  Benjamin  H., 
163,  181,  238,  240,  256. 

Guntown,  Miss.,  240. 

Gurley,  Captain  Frank  B.,  83,  84. 

Hammond,  General,  321. 
Harding,  Colonel  A.  C.,  98. 
Harris,  Governor  Isham  G.,  23, 

57,  74- 

Harrisburg  battle,  256,  263. 
Harrison,  Adjutant,  83. 
Harrison,  Captain  Isaac,  59,  62. 
Harrison,  Colonel  Isham  F.,  62, 

25Q. 

Harrison,  Major  Thomas,  61. 
Hart,   Colonel  John   R.,  Chicka- 

mauga,  145. 
Hatch,    General     Edward,     309, 

321,  326. 
Hatchie  Creek,  247. 


390 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    FORREST. 


Hathaway,  Colonel  Gilbert,  no, 
122. 

Hawkins,  Colonel  Isaac  R.,  Sev 
enth  Tennessee  Union  Cavalry, 
83,  86. 

Haynie,  Brigadier-General  Isham 
N.,  88,  89,  198. 

Heiman,  Colonel  Adolphus,  com 
manding  at  P'ort  Donelson,  25. 

Heiskell,  Colonel  Carrick  W.,  324. 

Helm,  Brigadier-General  Ben 
Hardin,  killed  at  Chickamauga, 
146. 

Henderson's  scouts  (Captain 
Thomas),  269. 

Hepburn,  Lieutenant  -  Colonel 
William  P.,  273,  274. 

Hewett,  Captain  John  H.,  67. 

Hicks,  Colonel  Stephen  G.,  in 
command  at  Paducah,  201,  204, 

212. 

Hildebrand,  Colonel,  Seventy- 
fourth  Ohio  regiment,  60. 

Hill,  Captain  Charles  S.,  356. 

Hill,  General  D.  H.,  146,  149. 

Hindman,  General  Thomas  C., 
145,  146. 

Hoge,  Colonel  George  B.,  238, 
277,  295. 

Holman,  Colonel  Daniel  W.,  99. 

Holt,  Lieutenant -Colonel  Gus- 
tavus  A.  C.,  200,  201,  212, 
241. 

Hood,  General  John  B.,  146,  323, 

330,  333,  334- 
Hood,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Arthur, 

74- 

Hopkinsville,  Ky.,  evacuated 
February,  1862 — movement 
covered  by  Forrest,  33. 

Horn,  Captain  Jack,  210,  211. 

Huey,  Captain  J.  K.,  36,  307. 

Hurlbut,  Major-General  Stephen 
A.,  55,  270,  271,  278,  279. 

Hurst,  Colonel  Fielding,  regiment 
repulsed,  205. 

Huwald,  Captain,  commanding  a 
battery,  73. 

Hyams.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Sam 
uel  M.,  Jr.,  254. 


Ingersoll,    Colonel     Robert    G., 

»3-85. 

Iveys  Hill,  182. 

Jackson,  Brigadier-General  John 
K.,  142. 

Jackson,  Major-General  William 
H.,  101, 186,  306,  315,  318,  324. 

Jasper,  Ala.,  339. 

Johnson,  Adam,  40. 

Johnson,  Brigadier-General  Bush- 
rod  R.,  35,  138-146. 

Johnson,  Brigadier-General  Wil 
liam  A.,  256,  285. 

Johnson,  Lieutenant  John,  killed, 
105. 

Johnston,  General  Albert  Sidney, 
41,  51,  54,  55  ;  killed  at  Shi- 
loh,  56. 

Johnston,  General  Joseph  E., 
i  ;  relieved  by  General  Leon- 
idas  Polk,  170,  237,  351. 

Jordan,  Colonel  Thomas  J.,  102. 

Jordan,  General  Thomas,  51,  366, 
370. 

Julian's  battalion,  113,  115,  117. 

Kappner,  Colonel  Ignatz  G.,  276. 

Kelley,  Major  David  C.,  at  Fort 
Donelson,  36,  37,  46,  52  ;  Lieu 
tenant-Colonel,  54,  283,  287, 
295,  297,  307,  314,  326,  373. 

Kerr,  L.  A.,  84. 

Kilpatrick,  General  Judson,  109. 

King,  Lieutenant-Commander, 
U.  S.  N.,  301. 

King,  Captain  Thomas  H., 
killed  at  Chickamauga,  143. 

King  Philip,  Forrest's  favorite 
war-horse,  185. 

Kinney,  Colonel  Thomas  J., 
One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth 
Illinois  regiment,  87. 

Kuklux  Klan,  370-372. 

Lafayette,  Tenn.,  167,  168. 
La  Grange,  General  Oscar  H. ,  346. 
La  Grange,  Tenn.,  160,  163,  165. 
Lathrop,    Colonel   William    H., 
289. 


INDEX. 


391 


Lawler,  Colonel,  92. 

Lawrence,  Colonel  William  Hud 
son,  commanding  at  Columbus, 
Ky.,  210,  211. 

Lawson,  Colonel  Harris  A.,  no. 

Lawton,  Colonel  W.  J.,  64  ;  com 
mands  Second  Georgia,  77. 

Lay,  Colonel  J.  F.,  77. 

Lees  and  Gordons  Mills,  138, 
168,  255,  257. 

Lee,  Captain  Harry  S.,  272,  273, 
274,  302. 

Lee,  General  Stephen  D.,  158, 
160,  162,  179;  feint  on  Mem 
phis,  208,  216,  236  ;  part  taken 
at  Harrisburg,  311,  322,  379. 
See  Appendix,  379-382. 

Lester,  Colonel,  66,  67. 

Lick  Creek,  55,  58. 

Livingstone,  Captain  Henry,  199. 

Logwood,  Colonel  Thomas  H., 
165,  270,  272,  287,  289. 

Long,  General  Eli,  337,  346. 

Longstreet,  Lieutenant-General 
James  (battle  of  Chickamauga), 
146. 

Loudon,  Captain  James  A.,  12, 
19,  21. 

Lowe,  Colonel  W.  W.,  99. 

Luxton,  Matthew,  10. 

Lyon,  General  Hylon  D..  241, 
242. 

MacKall,  Colonel  W.  W.,  on  Gen 
eral  Albert  Sidney  Johnston's 
staff,  31. 

McCaig,  Lieutenant  -  Colonel 
George  M.,  247. 

McCook,  Brigadier-General  Ed 
ward  M.,  339. 

McCook's  division  at  Chicka 
mauga,  145,  149. 

McCowan,  Major-General  John 
Porter,  68. 

McCrilli's,  Colonel  Lafayette, 
brigade,  mentioned  by  General 
William  Sooy  Smith,  190. 

McCulloch,  Colonel  Robert,  159, 
171,    177,    178,   179,   183,    217, 
219,  233,  236,  256,  344. 
26 


McCulloch,  Lieutenant-Colonel 
R.  A.,  185. 

McDonald's  Dragoons  (Captain 
Charles),  n,  26,  124,  146,  150. 

McDonnell,  William,  199. 

McGraw,  Dr.  T.  A.,  349. 

McGuire,  Lieutenant,  Fourteenth 
Indiana  battery,  84. 

McGuirk,  Colonel  John,  208,  216. 

McKay,  Major  Robert  C.,  259. 

McLaws's  division,  146,  151. 

McLean's  division  at  Chicka 
mauga,  144. 

McLemore,  Colonel  William  S,, 

134 

McMillin,  Colonel  William  L., 
177,  238,  245. 

McMinnville,  scene  of  operations, 
64,  69,  71,  72,  73,  75. 

McNairy,  Colonel  Frank,  killed 
at  Dover,  99. 

McPherson,  General  James  B., 
176. 

Mabry,  Colonel  Hinchie  P.,  Third 
Texas  Cavalry,  commanding 
brigade  at  Harrisburg,  256, 
257,  259,  260. 

Maney,  General  George,  142. 

Manigault,  Brigadier-General  Ar 
thur  M.,  213. 

Mann,  Captain  John  G.,  Forrest's 
chief  engineer,  captured,  168  ; 
mentioned,  356. 

Martin,  B.  H.,  40. 

Mason,  Major  Richard  M.,  356. 

Matlock  brothers,  12. 

Maury,  General  Dabney  H.,  suc 
ceeded  General  S.  D.  Lee,  264. 

May,  Captain  Charles,  killed,  38. 

Meigs,  Montgomery  C.,  quarter 
master-general  at  Washington, 
mentioned,  231. 

Memphis  and  Selma  Railroad 
scheme,  362. 

Merriwether,  Captain,  killed  at 
Sacramento,  Ky.,  28. 

Miller,  Colonel  J.  F.,  64. 

Milroy,  Major-General  Robert 
II.,  316,  317. 

Minnis,  Colonel  John  B.,  289. 


392 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 


Minty,  Colonel  Robert  H.  G.,  98. 
Mitchell's     cavalry    at     Chicka- 

mauga,  145. 
Monterey,  59. 
Montgomery,  Captain  Little, 

killed,  103. 
Moore,  Colonel  David,  254,  277, 

279. 
Moore,  Lieutenant  John,  Fourth 

Alabama,  killed,  290. 
Morgan,  Captain  John,  59. 
Morgan,  General,  109. 
Morris,  Lieutenant  John  O.,  163. 
Morrison,  Colonel  J.  J.,  64. 
Morton,  John  W.,  39,  84,   160; 

becomes  chief  of  artillery,  235, 

256. 

Mosby,  Colonel,  mentioned,  109. 
Moscow,  167. 
Mower,  General  Joseph  A.,  253, 

254,  266. 

Murray,  Major,  28. 
Myers,  Captain   Daniel  E.,   loo, 

202,  203,  208-211. 

Napier,  Colonel  T.  A.,  91,  92. 

Neely,  Colonel  James  J.,  178, 197, 
208,  216. 

Nelson,  Lieutenant  -  Colonel 
Thomas  M.,  259. 

Nelson,  Major-General  William, 
70,  71,  76. 

New  Era  gunboat  at  Fort  Pil 
low,  220,  223,  225. 

New  Salem,  Miss.,  247. 

Newsom,  Colonel  John  F.,  161, 
244,  259. 

Nixon,  Colonel  George  H.,  288. 

Oglesby,    General     Richard     J., 

126. 

O'Hara,  Captain,  83. 
Olmstead,    Colonel    Charles    H., 

3i8,  324- 
Overton,  Captain  Frank,  24,  51. 

Palmer,  Brigadier-General  Joseph 

B.,  316,  324. 
Parham,  Major,  260. 
Parker's  crossroads,  battle  of,  89. 


Parkhurst,  Lieutenant  -  Colonel 
John  G.,  65. 

Patterson, Brigadier-General,  256. 

Pavey,  Lieutenant,  116. 

Pegram,  139,  140,  146. 

Pettus,  Brigadier-General  Ed- 
mond  W.,  322. 

Pillow,  General  Gideon  J.,  34,  35, 
38,  40,  41,  49. 

Pinson,  Colonel  Richard  A.,  cap 
tured  at  Selma,  347. 

Pitman,  Colonel  Richard  W., 
294. 

Pointer,  Captain  Henry,  124. 

Porter,  Captain,  39. 

Polk,  General  Leonidas,  56,  77, 
78,  146,  176,  189. 

Pope,  Adjutant  William,  199. 

Prairie  Mound,  182. 

Prentiss,  General,  55,  56. 

Presidents  Island  leased  by  Gen 
eral  Forrest,  363. 

Preston,  Brigadier-General  Wil 
liam,  division  at  Chickamauga, 
144. 

Prince,  Colonel  Edward,  Seventh 
Illinois  regiment,  163,  164  ;  re 
port,  166. 

Princeton,  Ky.,  Forrest's  first  use 
of  artillery  at,  25. 

Pryor,  John  P.,  366,  370. 

Quarles,  Brigadier-General  Wil 
liam  A.,  213. 

Rambaut,  Major  Gilbert  Vin 
cent,  100,  170,  355. 

Randle,  Captain  C.  L.,  Seventh 
Kentucky  regiment  (Brice's 
crossroads),  241. 

Ray,  Colonel  W.  Augustus,  277. 

Reids  Bridge,  138,  139. 

Reynolds,  Brigadier  -  General 
Daniel  H.,  156. 

Rhodes,  W.  H.,  220,  222. 

Rice,  Surgeon  John  B.,  276. 

Richardson,  Brigadier  -  General 
Robert  V.,  159,  160,  163,  171. 

Richland  Creek,  326. 

Robins,  Captain  Thomas,  294. 


INDEX. 


393 


Roddey,  Brigadier-General  Philip 
D.,  236,  237,  256,  284,  285,  336, 
339,  340,  347. 

Rogers,  Lieutenant-Colonel  An 
drew  F.,  no. 

Rogers,  Lieutenant  Frank,  220. 

Rosecrans,  General  W.  S.,  89, 
101,  109 ;  advance,  June  22, 
1864,  132 ;  at  Trenton,  Ga., 
135,  142,  145,  147. 

Ross,  Brigadier-General  Lau 
rence  S.,  159.  329,  334,  336. 

Rossville,  149. 

Rousseau,  General  Lovell  H., 
290,  295,  316,  317. 

Rucker,  Colonel  Edmond  W., 
282,  308,  319,  320,  321. 

Rucker's  Legion,  153. 

Russell,  Captain  Walton,  122, 125. 

Russell,  Colonel  A.  A.,  80,  90. 

Russell,  Colonel  Robert  M.,  with 
Forrest  in  West  Tennessee,  161. 

Rutherford  Creek,  323,  325. 

Sacramento,  Ky.,  scene  of  For 
rest's  first  fight,  27. 

Sale,  Lieutenant,  270. 

Sanson,  Miss  Emma,  120,  121. 

Saunders,  James  E.,  63,  69. 

Schofield,  Major-General  John 
M.,  at  Franklin,  313. 

Scott,  Brigadier-General,  313. 

Scott,  Colonel  John  W.,  64,  146. 

Schuyler,  C.  A.,  25,  54. 

Sears,  Brigadier-General  Clau 
dius  W.,  316. 

Semmes,  Raphael,  mentioned,  360. 

Severson,  Major  Charles  S.,  355. 

Shafter,  Major  W.  R.,  103. 

Shaw,  William  J.,  217. 

Sheets,  Lieutenant-Colonel,  116. 

Shepley,  General  George  F.,  222. 

Sheridan,  General  Philip,  105, 109. 

Sherman,  General  William  T., 
55,  60,  173-175,  251-253,  286, 
334;  351.. 

Sherrill,  Lieutenant-Colonel  T. 
J.,  killed  at  Harrisburg,  261. 

Slemmons,  Colonel  William  F., 
159- 


Smith,  Brigadier-General  James 
Argyle,  324. 

Smith,  Brigadier-General  Tom 
Benton,  317. 

Smith,  Brigadier-General  W.  S., 
mentioned,  70,  72. 

Smith,  Captain  D.  D.,  no;  rear 
guard,  114,  119. 

Smith,  Captain  J.  Frank,  217. 

Smith,  General  Andrew  J.,  252, 
256,  260,  261,  266,  293. 

Smith,  General  Preston,  142,  143. 

Smith,  General  William  Sooy, 
173,  176,  177  ;  report,  190-195. 

Smith,  Major,  64. 

Smith,  Major-General  E.  Kirby, 
73- 

Snowden,  Lieutenant  -  Colonel 
Robert  Bogardus,  144. 

Spaulding,  Colonel-George,  320. 

Spillers's  battalion,  64. 

Staff  of  General  Forrest,  354-356. 

Stanley,  Major-General  Daniel 
S.,  108. 

Stanton,  Edwin  M.,  Secretary  of 
War,  149,  252. 

Starke,  General  Peter  B.,  325. 

Starnes,  James  W.,  27,  79,  86, 
90,  103,  106,  107,  116,  117,  133. 

Starr,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Mat 
thew  R.,  271,  273,  276. 

Steedman,  General  James  B.,  291, 
292. 

Stevenson,  Major-General  Carter 
LM  succeeded  General  S.  D. 
Lee,  command  of  rear-guard, 
322. 

Stevenson,  Vernon  K.,  53. 

Stewart,  Colonel  Francis  M.,  148, 
283. 

Stewart,  Lieutenant-General  Al 
exander  P.,  at  Franklin,  310, 
330. 

Stockdale,  Lieutenant  -  Colonel 
Thomas  R.,  wounded  at  Har 
risburg,  261. 

Stovall,  Brigadier-General  Mar- 
cellus  A.,  322. 

Stovall's  brigade  at  Chickamauga, 
147- 


394 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   FORREST. 


Strahl,  Brigadier-General  Otto 
F.,  142  ;  killed  at  battle  of 
Franklin,  213. 

Strange,  Major  John  P.,  25,  54, 
60,  91,  286,  289,  355. 

Stratton,    Captain    William    D., 

243- 

Straight,  Colonel  Abel  D.,  109- 
in,  115,  119,  121,  126. 

Stuart,  General  J.  E.  B.,  men 
tioned,  109. 

Sturges,  Brigadier-General  Sam 
uel  D.,  234;  report  to  Wash 
ington,  235  ;  mentioned,  238. 

Sugar  Creek,  Forrest's  last  stand 
on  the  retreat,  328,  330. 

Sullivan,  Lieutenant,  commander 
of  gunboat,  25. 

Sullivan,  General  Jeremiah  C., 
88,  89. 

Taylor,  Captain,  Seventeenth  In 
diana  regiment,  343. 

Taylor,  Captain,  64. 

Taylor,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Wil 
liam  F.,  243. 

Taylor,  Lieutenant-General  Rich 
ard,  283,  338,  340,  351. 

Terry,  W.  H.,  28. 

Texas  Rangers,  61. 

Thomas,  General  George  H.,  141, 
144,  145,  148,  309,  319. 

Thompson,  Colonel  Albert  P., 
killed  at  Paducah,  197  ;  men 
tioned,  204. 

Thompson,  Hon.  Jacob,  resi 
dence  burned,  280 ;  mentioned, 
362. 

Thompsons  Station  battle,  101. 

Thrall's  battery  (Captain  James 
C.),  240-246. 

Tilghman,    General    Lloyd,    25, 

34,  35- 

Tishomingo  Creek,  240. 

Titus,  Captain,  260. 

Tombigbee  River,  241. 

Trask,  Captain  William  L.,  men 
tioned,  369. 

Trezevant,  Colonel  Edward  Bul- 
ler,  killed,  103. 


Trigg,  General,  144. 
Tupelo,  240. 

Tyler,  Captain  H.  A.,  64,  208, 
209,  243,  342. 

Upton,  Brigadier-General  Emery, 

337,  347- 
Upton,  Major,  201,  202. 

Van  Dorn,  Major-General  Earl, 

loo,  105,  107. 
Van    Wick,     Dr.,     mistaken    for 

Forrest  and  killed,  26. 

Walker,  Lieutenant-Colonel,  65, 

75- 
Walker,  Major-General  William 

H.  T.,  141,  142. 

Wallace,  Colonel  Campbell,  286. 
Walters,  Lieutenant  John  L.,  28. 
Walthall,  Major-General  Edward 

C.,  324. 

Waltham,  Captain,  64. 
Walton's  battery,  276. 
Waring,  Colonel  George  E.,  175, 

182,  186,  237. 

Warner,  Major  Archibald,  356. 
Washburn,  General  Cadwallader 

C.,  231,  270,  274,  278,  279,  280, 

293- 

Watson,  Captain  William  K.,  105. 
Webster,  General  Joseph  D., 

293- 

Wharton,  Colonel  John  A.,  61, 
65,  68,  73,  96,  98,  101,  103. 

Wheeler,  Colonel  James  F.,  290. 

White,  Captain  Josiah  S.,  23. 

White,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Ra 
leigh  R.,  298,  307,  374. 

Whitfield,  Colonel  J.  W.,  IOT, 
103. 

Wilcox,  Captain,  36. 

Wilder,    General   John    T.,    109, 

133- 

Wilkins,  Colonel  A.,  238. 

Williams,  Captain,  36. 

Wilson,  Captain  Wallace,  10. 

Wilson,  Colonel  Andrew  N.,  Six 
teenth  Tennessee  Cavalry,  161, 
198,  244,  259. 


INDEX. 


395 


Wilson,  Colonel  Claudius  C., 
commanding  brigade  at  Chick- 
amauga,  140. 

Wilson,  General  James  Grant, 
379,  38i. 

Wilson,  General  James  H.,  310, 
312,  313,  321  ;  summing  up  of 
Middle  Tennessee  campaign, 
330  ;  concentrating  cavalry  lor 
final  campaign  in  the  south, 
near  Waterloo  and  Gravelly 
Springs,  336. 

Windes,  Lieutenant-Colonel  F. 
M.,  292,  293. 

Winslow,  Colonel  Edward  F.,  237. 


Wisdom,    Colonel    Dew    Moore, 

163,  218,  243,  260. 
Wisdom,  John  H.,  122. 
Wood,  M.  H.,  363. 
Wood's  division  at  Chickamauga, 

145. 
Woodward,  Colonel  Thomas  G., 

Second      Kentucky      Cavalry, 

C.  S.  A.,  64. 
Wright,  General  Marcus  J.,  142. 

Young,  Captain  John  TM  Com 
pany  A,  Twenty-fourth  Mis 
souri  Infantry,  captured  at  Fort 
Pillow,  225-226. 


THE    END. 


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$1.00;  paper,  50  cents. 

"  Graphic  and  intensely  interesting.  .  .  .  The  book  may  be  warmly  com 
mended  as  a  good  specimen  of  the  fiction  that  makes  history  real  and  living." 
— San  Francisco  Chronicle. 

"  The  story  is  told  in  such  a  simple,  direct  way  that  it  holds  the  reader's 
interest  to  the  end,  and  gives  a  most  accurate  picture  of  the  times." — Boston 
Transcript. 

The  Sun  of  Saratoga* 

A  Romance  of  Burgoyne's  Surrender.  I  2mo.  Cloth,  $1.00; 
paper,  50  cents. 

"  Taken  altogether,  '  The  Sun  of  Saratoga'  is  the  best  historical  novel  of 
American  origin  that  has  been  written  for  years,  if  not,  indeed,  in  a  fresh, 
simple,  unpretending,  unlabored,  manly  way,  that  we  have  ever  read. " — New 
York  Mail  and  Express. 

D.    APPLETON     AND     COMPANY,     NEW     YORK. 


BOOKS  BY  C  C  HOTCHKISS 
The  Strength  of  the  Weak. 

I2mo.      Cloth,  #1.50. 

The  delightful  outdoor  quality  of  'Mr.  Hotchkiss's  novel  forms  a  charming 
accompaniment  to  the  adventurous  happenings  of  the  romance  The  author 
has  found  some  apt  suggestions  in  the  diary  of  a  soldier  of  the  New  Hampshire 
Grants,  and  these  actual  experiences  have  been  utilized  in  the  development  of 
the  tale.  The  story  is  one  of  love  and  daring  and  American  courage,  and  the 
varying  outdoor  scenes  which  succeed  each  other  as  the  tale  unfolds  provide  a 
picturesqueness  and  zest  which  show  the  increasing  power  of  an  author  whose 
previous  books  have  won  for  him  a  large  circle  of  admirers. 

Betsy  Ross. 

A  Romance  of  the  Flag.       I  zmo.      Cloth,  $1.50. 

"A  novelized  drama,  and  a  right  good  one,  too,  with  plenty  of  stir,  patriot 
ism,  and  love." — New  York  World. 

"'  Betsy  Ross'  reaches  the  American  ideal  in  fiction.  It  is  the  long- 
looked-for  American  novel.  Stirring,  intense,  dealing  with  great  native 
characters,  and  recalling  some  of  the  noblest  incidents  connected  with  our 
national  history,  it  is  the  one  novel  of  the  time  that  fulfills  the  ideal  that  we 
had  all  conceived,  but  no  one  had  before  accomplished." — Philadelphia  Item. 

In  Defiance  of  the  King. 

I2mo.      Cloth,  $1.00;   paper,  50  cents. 

"  As  a  love  romance  it  is  charming,  while  it  is  filled  with  thrilling  adventure 
and  deeds  of  patriotic  daring." — Boston  Advertiser. 

"  A  remarkable  good  story.  .  .  .  The  heart  beats  quickly,  and  we  feel 
ourselves  taking  a  part  in  the  exciting  scenes  described,  the  popular  breeze  seizes 
upon  us  and  whirls  us  away  into  the  tumult  of  war." — Chicago  Evening  Post. 

A  Colonial  Free-Lance. 

I  zmo.      Cloth,  $1.00;   paper,  50  cents. 

"  A  fine,  stirring  picture  of  the  period,  full  of  brave  deeds,  startling  though 
not  improbable  incidents,  and  of  absorbing  interest  from  beginning  to  end."  — 
Boston  Transcript. 

"  A  brave,  moving,  spirited,  readable  romance.  Every  one  of  his  pages  is 
aglow  with  the  fire  of  patriotism,  the  vigor  of  adventure,  and  the  daring  of 
reckless  bravery." — Washington  Times. 

D.    APPLETON     AND     COMPANY,     NEW    YORK. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  WEST  SERIES. 
The  Story  of  the  Soldier. 

By  General  G.  A.  FORSYTH,  U.S.A.  (retired).  Illustrated  by 
R.  F.  Zogbaum.  A  new  volume  in  the  Story  of  the  West  Series, 
edited  by  Ripley  Hitchcock.  I  zmo.  Cloth,  $1.50. 

In  the  great  task  of  opening  the  empire  west  of  the  Missouri 
the  American  regular  soldier  has  played  a  part  large  and  heroic, 
but  unknown.  The  purpose  of  this  book  is  to  picture  the  Amer 
ican  soldier  in  the  life  of  exploration,  reconnoissances,  establishing 
posts,  guarding  wagon  trains,  repressing  outbreaks,  or  battling 
with  hostile  Indians,  which  has  been  so  large  a  part  of  the  army's 
active  work  for  a  hundred  years. 

No  romance  can  be  more  suggestive  of  heroic  deeds  than  this 
volume,  which  appears  most  opportunely  at  a  time  when  the 
Regular  Army  is  facing  so  many  and  so  serious  duties  in  both 
hemispheres.  No  one  is  better  entitled  to  write  it  than  the  brave 
officer  who  with  his  little  handful  of  men  held  the  sandspit  in  the 
Arickaree  for  days  against  Roman  Nose  and  his  thousands  of 
warriors,  and  finally  won  their  lives  by  sheer  dogged  pluck  and 
heroism.  Mr.  Zogbaum' s  illustrations  are  a  most  valuable  gal 
lery  of  pictures  of  Western  army  life. 

"To  General  Forsyth  belongs  the  credit  of  having  gathered  together  for 
the  first  time  the  story  of  the  heroic  work,  invaluable  to  the  progress  of  our 
civilization,  which  regular  soldiers  performed  in  silence  and  obscurity." — Boston 
Herald. 

"General  Forsyth' s  identity  with  the  army  extends  over  a  notable  period 
in  its  history,  and  he  is  among  the  few  officers  who  remain  who  are  able  to 
write  of  their  personal  knowledge  of  the  thrilling  experiences  of  our  soldiers  on 
the  plains." — Washington  Army  and  Navy  Register. 

"The  soldierly  qualities  of  the  author  appear  on  every  page  of  the  volume 
in  a  precision  of  statement,  a  generosity  of  praise,  and  an  urbanity  of  temper. 
The  narrative  is  commended  to  the  interest  and  attention  of  every  student  of 
our  national  life  and  development." — Philadelphia  Ledger. 

"There  is  not  a  dull  page  in  the  book." — Buffalo  Commercial. 

"The  story  presents  a  fresh  and  thrilling  chapter  of  American  history." — 
Cleveland  World. 

D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY,  NEW  YORK. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH 


This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


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